Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 112

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER

IBPS clerk Preliminary Practice Question Paper -2015


(difficulty level moderate)
Instructions:
1. This Preliminary Practice Exam contains 3 sections. (Qs.1-30 English Language),
Quantitative Aptitude (Qs.31-65) and Reasoning (Qs.66-100)
2. All questions are compulsory
3. Each question has five options,of which only one is correct.
4. There is negative marking equivalent to th of the mark allotted to the specific question for
wrong answer.
Time:1hr

n
i
.
e

Max mark:100

English

r
i
p

Directions(Qs.1-5)-Each of the following questions has a word or group of words missing. Five alternatives
are given. You have to find out which one of them would make the sentence grammatically correct and
meaningful .

s
A
k

1.He ___ since morning.


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

is playing
has been playing
has played
will be playing
none of these

b
.
w

n
a

2.The shortage of essentials ____ must be overcome in a short time.


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

products
commodities
materials
delivery
consignment

w
w

3.I am interested ___ some other job.


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

in
of
for
toward
to

4._____ you apologize I shall punish you.


a) Until
b) Unless
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


c) Till
d) Not
e) None of these
5. Know for certain she looks____ her mother.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

to
at
down
up
after

Directions(6-15):In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These
numbers are printed below the passage and against each five words are suggested, one of which fit the
blank appropriately. Find out the approximate word in each case.
About 60% of the human body is water. If you could(6)out a human being like a (7)...you would obtain
about 40 litres of(8)..This water which is not like (9) water because of the substances it(10)is necessary
to the life of the (11)About a gallon of it is (12)...the blood vessels and is (13)circulating by the heart.
This (14)bathes all the cells of the body in a (15)stream. The water also acts as a conductor of heart
through the body.

r
i
p

s
A
k

6.
a)
b)
c)
d)

work
wrench
press
squeeze

a)
b)
c)
d)

lemon
mango
fruit
banana

a)
b)
c)
d)

juice
pulp
water
liquid

a)
b)
c)
d)

usual
ordinary
common
normal

7.

b
.
w

n
a

w
w
8.

9.

10.
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


a)
b)
c)
d)

dissolves
carries
includes
contains

a)
b)
c)
d)

body
physique
man
human being

a)
b)
c)
d)

on
up
in
through

a)
b)
c)
d)

continued
made
got
kept

a)
b)
c)
d)

liquid
water
juice
matter

11.

12.

r
i
p

13.

14.

15.

b
.
w

s
A
k

n
i
.
e

n
a

w
w
a)
b)
c)
d)

constant
regular
normal
steady

Directions(Qs.16-20)Re-arrange each of the following five sentences a,b,c,d and e in the proper sequence
so as to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

She said that she was a school teacher and a social worker
Then for sometime we discussed her plans for schooling of the children living in slums.
Our conversation now took another direction.
She also said that social work was her hobby only and not the job.
I asked Meena about her occupation.

16.Which of the following should be the first sentence after rearrangement ?

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

a
b
c
d
e

17.Which of the following should be the second sentence after rearrangement ?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

a
b
c
d
e

18.Which of the following should be the third sentence after rearrangement ?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

a
b
c
d
e

r
i
p

s
A
k

n
i
.
e

19.Which of the following should be the fourth sentence after rearrangement ?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

a
b
c
d
e

b
.
w

n
a

20.Which of the following should be the fifth sentence after rearrangement ?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

a
b
c
d
e

w
w

Directions (Qs. 21-25): Read the following passage and answer the questions below it. A few words are
given in the bold form to help easy location while answering some questions.
After two decades of growing student enrollments and economic prosperity ,business schools in India
have started to face harder times. Only IIMs, ISB or other ivy class schools have shown a substantial
increase in enrollment in recent years. Other institutes have been seen decrease in their enrollment. Since
1999, the number of people receiving Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree has dropped;
about 5% and the trend of lower enrollment rates is expected to continue.
There are two factors causing this decrease in students seeking an MBA degree. The first one is that many
graduates are finding that an MBA degree does not guarantee a plush job in corporate sector in India or
other public sector jobs. Many of the entry level management jobs are going to students graduating with
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


Master of Arts degree in humanities or specialized people of field like Chartered Accountants or lawyers.
Even people with MBA degree are applying to entry level jobs. Students have asked the question ,is an
MBA degree really what I need to be best prepared for getting a good job.? The second major factor has
been the cutting of hefty payrolls and the lower number of entry level jobs being offered. Business needs
are changing and MBA schools are struggling to meet the new demands.
21.What is the main focus of the passage?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Needs of jobs in Indian corporate sector


MBA Colleges need to change with time
Changes in enrollment for MBA schools
Warning the business schools
How business schools are changing

22.The prosperity in the passage can be replaced by which of the following?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Success
Surplus
Nurturing
Education
Growth

r
i
p

s
A
k

23.What can be the future course for MBA schools in India?

n
i
.
e

a) They should change their curriculum and make it more attractive to students?
b) They should change their approach to education and learn from the foreign institutes to make
themselves competitive.
c) They should focus on marketing their courses and its features.
d) They should make strong links in corporate to put their students in good positions.
e) They should consult industry titans for the change needed and accordingly.

b
.
w

n
a

24.Which of the following might be the topic of the next paragraph?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

MBA schools effort to change.


Further economic predictions
Meetings of Business School representatives with industry people.
Description of non MBA graduate programme
What students should do now?

w
w

25.Which of the following can be inferred from the passage regarding Indian Corporates.?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Constantly evolving
Fast changing
Bursting out of seams
Growth rate like bolt from blue
Cyclic trends incorporated

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


Directions(Qs.26-30)Read each sentence carefully and find out whether there is any grammatical or
idiomatic error in it. The error if any will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is your
answer. If there is no error, the answer is option e.
26.Different(a)/authorities defines(b)/intelligence in(c)/different ways(d).
27.India is(a) /one of the leading(b) /film producing country (c)/in the world(d).
28. There were (a)/ten women passengers in(b)/ the cabin; they quarrelled with each other(c)/ over
sitting space(d)
29.I had(a)/ gone(a)/ to Calcutta(c)/ to deliver few good.(d)
30. Being a fine day(a) /we went(b)/ out for picnic (c)/at Shimla.(d)

Quantitative Aptitude

n
i
.
e

Directions(Qs.31-35):What should come in place of question mark(?) in the following questions?


31.(47588)(28120)=?
a) 6.284
b) 7.625
c) 8.225
d) 8.285
e) None of these
32.45% of 224 ? % of 120= 8104.32
a) 67
b) 62
c) 59
d) 71
e) None of these
33.7921 51 + 374 =?3
a) 16
b) 19
c) 15
d) 21
e) None of these
34.657321 (0.2)2 =?
a) 7825
b) 62.6
c) 1565
d) 12.52
e) None of these
35.74156- ? 321- 20 +520= 69894
a) 3451
b) 4441
c) 5401
d) 4531

b
.
w

r
i
p

s
A
k

n
a

w
w

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


e) None of these
Directins(Qs.36-40)What approximate value should come in place of question mark(?) in the following
questions ?You are not expected to calculate the exact value.
36.724.998 224.048 14.954 = ?
a) 8
b) 13
c) 2
d) 10
e) 16
37.(848.999 + 274.052)3.0052=?
a) 940
b) 836
c) 184
d) 298
e) 374
3
38.84900 =?
a) 56
b) 44
c) 67
d) 33
e) 21
39.18.5% of 425 + 16.2% of 388=?
a) 141
b) 224
c) 116
d) 183
e) 215
40.18.34519.068? = 11538.93375
a) 46
b) 61
c) 27
d) 33
e) 55

b
.
w

r
i
p

s
A
k

n
i
.
e

n
a

w
w

41.One-fourth of a number is 17. What will 45% of that number be?


a) 51
b) 45.4
c) 37.4
d) 30.6
e) None of these
42.Ishanth spent Rs.35,645 on buying bike, Rs.24,355 on buying a television, and remaining 20% of the
total amount he had as cash with him. What was the total amount.?
a) Rs.60,000
b) Rs.72,000
c) Rs.75,000
d) Rs.80,000
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


e) None of these
43.The average age of A,B and C is 26 years. If the average age of A and C is 29 years, what is the age of
B?
a) 26
b) 20
c) 29
d) 23
e) None of these
44.What approximate compound interest can be obtained on an amount of Rs.3,980 after 2 years at 8%
p.a.?
a) 650
b) 680
c) 600
d) 590
e) 662
45.In a 3 litre mixture of water and milk, 50% is milk. How much water should be added so that the
percentage of milk becomes 20%?
a) 1.5 litre
b) 2 litre
c) 2.5 litre
d) 4.5 litre
e) None of these
46. The difference of two numbers of two digit each is 24 while the sum of these two number is 102.
What is the larger number?
a) 63
b) 39
c) 36
d) 73
e) None of these
47.The ratio between the present age of Kunal and Ganesh is 3:5. If 4 years hence Kunal will be younger
than Ganesh by 12 years, What is the present age of Kunal?
a) 18 years
b) 19 years
c) 22 years
d) 16 years
e) None of these
48.A car takes 5 hrs to cover a distance of 300 km. How much should the speed in km/hr be maintained
to cover the same distance in 4/5th of the previous time?
a) 60 km/hr
b) 70km/hr
c) 75 km/hr
d) Cannot be determined
e) None of these
49.14 person can complete a work in 16 days.8 persons started the work, 12 days after 8 more persons
joined them. How many days will they take to complete the remaining work.?
a) 12
b) 7
c) 9

r
i
p

b
.
w

s
A
k

n
a

w
w

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


d) 8
e) None of these
50.40 cattle can graze a grassland for 60 days. The number of cattle that will graze a grassland 2 times as
large in 40 days is:
a) 120
b) 80
c) 20
d) 90
e) None of these
Directions(Qs.51-55)Following questions are based on the set of numbers given below. Study the
following set of numbers and answer the questions that follow.
234 56 67 456 231 890 123 45 23 567

n
i
.
e

51. What is the difference between second largest number and largest two digit number among above
set of numbers?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

r
i
p

450
500
456
345
None of these

s
A
k

52.Sum of unit digits of largest and smallest numbers?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

7
6
3
4
None of these

b
.
w

n
a

53.When arranged in ascending order which number is the second to the left of 123?

w
w
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

23
45
56
234
231

54.When arranged in ascending order what is the position of 456?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Third from left


Third from right
Seventh from left
Fifth from left
Second from right

55.What is the product of largest two digit number and smallest three digit number in the above set?
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

8341
4567
3456
9867
8241

Directions(Qs.56-60)In the following number series, one of the number is missing. Find out the missing
number.
56. 0 , 3 , 8 , 15 , 24, ___
a) 29
b) 35
c) 36
d) 37
e) 30
57. 1 , 8 , 27 , __ , 125 , 216
a) 49
b) 66
c) 50
d) 81
e) 64
58. 0 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ,__ , 13 , 21
a) 8
b) 10
c) 11
d) 12
e) 7
59. 2, 1 , 1 , 1.5 , 3 , 7.5 , ___
a) 21
b) 22
c) 23
d) 22.5
e) 21.5
60. 220, 108, 52, ___ ,10, 3
a) 26
b) 22
c) 28
d) 24
e) None of these
Directions(Qs.61-65) The land cultivated under different crops in a district is given in the following chart.
Study the chart and answer the questions that follow.

r
i
p

b
.
w

s
A
k

n
a

w
w

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER

Paddy
25%

30%

vegetable
Groundnut
Cotton

15%

5%
5%

20%

Barley
Wheat

n
i
.
e

61.If the total area cultivated be 2,00,000m2 ,what is the area cultivated for vegetables?(in square
metre)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

r
i
p

15,000
30,000
20,000
35,000
None of these

s
A
k

62.In the graph , what is the central angle for the sector that represents the area of cultivation of
groundnut ?(in degree)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

54
18
60
36
None of these

b
.
w

n
a

w
w

63.How much more area in sq.metre is cultivated of the largest cultivated crop than to the second
largest if the total cultivated be 2,00,000 m2. (sq.metre)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

10,000
20,000
5,000
25,000
None of these

64.If the area cultivated for paddy be 5,000 sq.metre , what is the area cultivated for cotton ?(in
sq.metre)
a)
b)
c)
d)

2,000
1,500
3,400
4,000

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


e) None of these
65.What is the ratio of the area cultivated for barley and wheat together to the area cultivated for
paddy, groundnut and vegetable together ?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

5/9
7/9
3/10
4/9
None of these

Reasoning

n
i
.
e

Directions(QS.66-70):In each of the following questions below are given two statements followed by two
conclusions .You have to take given statement to be true even if they seem to be at variance with
commonly known facts. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically
follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts.

r
i
p

Answera) If only conclusion I is true


b) If only conclusion II is true
c) If either I or II is true
d) If neither I nor II is true
e) If both are true

s
A
k

n
a

66.Statements:Some trains are trees, No tree is a picture

b
.
w

Conclusions:

w
w

I.
II.

Some trains are picture


No train is a picture

67. .Statements:All flats are books, some books are pencils


Conclusions:

I.
II.

Some pencils are flats


Some flats are not pencils

68. .Statements:No file is an elephant, All elephants are caps


Conclusions:
I.
II.

Some caps are elephants


Some files are caps

69. .Statements: Some trays are fans, All fans are bottles

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


Conclusions:
I.
II.

No bottle is a tray
Some trays are bottles

70.Statements: All pots are horses, All horses are plates


Conclusions:
I.
II.

Some plates are pots


All plates are pots

71.Anirudh started to move in the direction of South. After moving 15m, he turned to his left and moved
15m.Again he turned to his left and moved 15m.Now how far is he from his starting point and in what
direction?
a) 15m ,South
b) 30, East
c) 15m, East
d) 30, North
e) 15m, South-East
72.Introducing Suresh, Suja said, The father of his brother is the only son of my Grand mother. How is
Suja related to Suresh.?
a) Mother
b) Sister
c) Cousin
d) Daughter
e) None of these
73.If air is called green, green is called blue, blue is called sky, sky is called yellow, yellow is called water
and water is called pink, then what is the colour of clear sky?

r
i
p

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Pink
Sky
Water
Blue
Yellow

b
.
w

s
A
k

n
a

w
w

74.According to English alphabet as BC is related to YX in the same as EF is related to ___?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

UV
VU
WV
VW
None of these

75.In a code Report is denoted by PRETOR then PERSON is denoted ___?


a) REPNSO
b) RPENOS
c) RSONPE
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


d) PRENSO
e) None of these
76.As Disease is related to Pathology , in the same way, Planet is related to which?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Sun
Satellite
Astrology
Astronomy
Orbit

77.Which one of the following year is different from others?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

1991
1995
1998
1996
1990

r
i
p

n
i
.
e

78.Dhiraj remembers that the birthday of his younger brother falls after 14th June and before 18th June,
while his mother remember that his birthday falls after 15th June and before 19th June. On what day of
June does the birthday of the younger brother of Dhiraj fall?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

15th
16th
17th or 18th
16th or 17th
None of these

b
.
w

s
A
k

n
a

79.Amit is 2 years elder than Sumit who is 3 years younger than Naresh. Irfan is 1 year younger than
Shoukath but 5 years elder than Naresh. Who is the eldest?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Amit
Naresh
Sumit
Irfan
Shoukath

w
w

80.In a line ,Rajan is on 10th position from right and Suraj in on 10th position from left. When they both
interchange their positions, Suraj becomes 27th from left.What will be the position of Rajan from right.?
a) 10
b) 11
c) 26
d) 27
e) Cannot be determined.
Directions(Qs.81-85):In the following questions two statement are given followed by two conclusions.

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


Answera) If only conclusion I is true
b) If only conclusion II is true
c) If either I or II is true
d) If neither I nor II is true
e) If both are true
81. R<S, S>T, TN
Coclusions: I.SN , II.RT
82.PQ, Q = R, RZ
Conclusions: I.PR, II.QZ
83.L>M, M<N, NK
Conclusions: I.L M, II.L N

r
i
p

84.SP,PZ, Z>T
Conclusions: I.ST, II.S>Z

s
A
k

85.K>L, LR , R=P
Conclusions: I.PL, II.K>R

n
a

n
i
.
e

Directions(Qs.86-90)Study the following information and the answer the given questions.

b
.
w

Seven friends T,U,V,W,X,Y and Z are sitting in a straight line facing North. W sits fifth to the right of T. W
does not sit at any of the extreme ends. Two people sit between Z and X. Y sits third to the left of U. Y sits
exactly in the middle. Z is not an immediate neighbour of Y.
86.What is Zs position with respect to W?

w
w
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Second to the left


Third to the right
Fourth to the left
Third to the left
Fourth to the right

87.Who is second to the right of T.?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Y
X
U
V
None of these

88.Four of the following groups are alike in certain way, pick out the odd group.
For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

UW
XV
ZT
YV
WX

89.If all seven friends are made to sit alphabetically from right to left, position of how many will remain
unchanged?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

None
One
Two
Three
Four

90.Who sit at the extreme ends of line?


a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

XZ
VX
YZ
XT
TU

r
i
p

s
A
k

n
i
.
e

Directions (Q.91-95): Study the following arrangement of numbers, letters and symbols carefully and
answer the questions given below:
R4$ME7T#A2J@UK9PI%18QW35Z5*N 6FVG
91. Which of the following should come in place of question mark (?) in the following series
based on the elements in the above arrangement?
M$7 A# J KUP ?
a) 1%W
b) 1IQ
c) 1IW
d) 1 %Q
e) None of these
92. How many such symbols are there in the above arrangement, each of which is immediately
preceded by a consonant and also immediately followed by a vowel?
a) None
b) One
c) Two
d) Three
e) Four
93. How many such numbers are there in the above arrangement, each of which is immediately
followed by a consonant but not immediately preceded by a letter?
a) None
b) One
c) Two
d) Three
e) More than three

b
.
w

n
a

w
w

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


94. If the positions of twenty five elements from the right end are reversed, which of the
following will be the sixteenth element from the left end?
a) Z
b) P
c) W
d) Q
e) None of these
95. Which of the following is eighth to the left of the twenty- third clement from the left end of
the above arrangement?
a) 9
b) 1
c) $
d)
e) None of these
f)
Directions(Qs.96-98): In a certain code

r
i
p

I. Rip Lub Ja Pit means Kindly Let me speak.


II. Sa Tik Lub means Kindly go forward.

s
A
k

III. Pit Sun Ki means Speak with Example.


IV. Ja Ha Tik means Let others Go.
96.What is the code for Example.?
a) Ki
b) Pit
c) Sun
d) Data inadequate
e) None of these

b
.
w

n
a

w
w

97.In the code Ha means?


a) Forward
b) Kindly
c) Go
d) Others
e) None of these

98.To find the code for Me which of the following statements are necessary?
a) Only (i) and (ii)
b) Only (i) and (iii)
c) Only (ii),(iii) and (iv)
d) Only (i),(iii) and (iv)
e) All are necessary

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


Directions(Qs.99-100)In each of questions below is given a statement followed by two conclusions
numbered I and II.You have to consider the statement and conclusions and decide which of the
conclusion/conclusions is/are follows.
Give answer (a) if only conclusion I follows
Give answer (b) if only conclusion II follows.
Give answer (c) if either I or II follows.
Give answer (d)if Neither I nor II is follows.
Give answer (e) if both I and II follow.
99.Statement-It is possible that the interview panel may select such persons who neither posses
essential level of qualifications nor have values or concepts.
ConclusionsI. The inclusion of experts in the panel does not ensure that the selection will be suitable.
II. As an instrument for selection , interview has some limitations.

n
i
.
e

30.Statement- The multinational fast food chains have hardly reached India, but the Farmer associations
are ready to accept them.
ConclusionsI. Farmer Associations are opposing modernization.
II. Farmers Associations are not willing to compete with multinational companies

r
i
p

s
A
k

Answer key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

a
b
a
b
e
d
a
c
b
d
a
c
d
b
a
e
a
d
c
b
b
e
e

w
w

b
.
w

n
a

24. a
25. b
26. b, Change defines to define to make
it agree with plural noun authorities.
27. C, :Change country to countries. The
word countries has not been used for
India but for countries which produces
films and out of which India is one.
28. C, Change each other to one another
.Each other is used in reference to
two; in reference to more than two
one another is used
29. d, Add a before few to make it
positive.
30. a, Add it before being.
31. c
32. a
33. e
34. d
35. b
36. c
37. e
38. b

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

BANKASPIE-IBPS CLERK PRELIMINARY SAMPLE PAPER


39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.

a
d
d
c
b
e
d
a
a
c
d
a
b
c
c
b
e
b
e
a(Fibonacci series)
d
d
b
b
a
d
b
d
d
a
b
a
c
b
b
b

b
.
w

79. d
80. e
81. d
82. d
83. e
84. d
85. d
86. a
87. c
88. d
89. b
90. a
91. e
92. d
93. c
94. b
95. e
96. a
97. d
98. d
99. e
100.
101.

r
i
p

s
A
k
e
d

n
a

w
w

e
d
d,leap year

For more bank exam study materials visit http://www.bankaspire.in

n
i
.
e

www.BankExamsToday.com

Reading
Comprehensions
Workbook
By Ramandeep Singh

Ramandeep Singh
2/16/2015

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given
below it.
A long time ago, on a big tree in the lap of the mountain, lived a bird named
Sindhuka. It was a rather special bird because its droppings turned into gold as
soon as they hit the ground.
One day, a hunter came to the tree in search of prey and he saw Sindhuka's
droppings hit the ground and turn into gold. The hunter was struck with wonder. He
though, "I have been hunting birds and small animals since I was a boy, but in all
my 80 years, I have never seen such a miraculous creature. He decided that he had
to catch the bird somehow. He climbed the tree and skillfully set a trap for the bird.
The bird, quite unaware of the danger it was in, stayed on the tree and sang merrily.
But it was soon caught in the hunter's trap. The hunter immediately seized it and
shoved it into a cage.
The hunter took the bird home joyfully. But as he had time to think over his
good fortune later, he suddenly realised, "If the king comes to know of this wonder,
he will certainly take away the bird from me and he might even punish me for
keeping such a rare treasure all to myself. So it would be safer and more honourable
if I were to go to the king and present the unique bird to him," The next day, the
hunter took the bird to the king and presented it to him in court with great
reverence. The king was delighted t o receive such an unusual and rare gift. He told
his courtiers to keep the bird safe and feed it with the best bird food available.
The king's prime minister though, was reluctant to accept the bird. He
said "O Rajah, how can you believe the word of a foolish hunter accept this bird?
Has anyone in our kingdom ever seen abird dropping gold? The hunter must be
either crazy or telling lies. I think it is best that you release the bird from the cage."
After a little thought, the king felt that his prime minister's words were correct. So
he ordered the bird to be released. But as soon as the door of the cage was thrown
open, the bird flew out, perched itself on a nearby doorway and defecated. To
everyone's surprise, the dropping immediately turned into gold. The king mourned
his loss.

1. Which of the following is possible the most appropriate title for the story?
a) The Skilled Hunter
b) The Kings Prime Minister
c) The Kings Defeat
d) The Bird with the Gold Dropping
e) The Trials and Tribulations of the Foolish Bird Sindhuka
2. Which of the following emotions made the hunter gift the bird to the king?
a) Respect
b) Joy
c) Pride
d) Fear
e) Awe
3. Which of the following is true according to the story?
a) Birds like Sindhuka were very common in the area near the mountain
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 2

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) Sindhuka remained caged for the rest of its life


c) Sindhuka was unaware of the trap laid by the hunter
d) The King, when told to not accept the bird, did not listen to his Prime
Minister
e) All are true
4. Why was the kings Prime Minister reluctant to accept the bird?
a) He believed that the bird would die if caged
b) He know about the hunters habit of lying
c) He believed that the bird would bring bad luck to the king
d) His sources had informed him that the hunter was crazy
e) None of these
5. How did the hunter find Sindhuka?
a) He had read stories about the bird and had set traps at various locations in
the city
b) He followed the birds droppings
c) He was on the lookout for a prey when he chanced upon it
d) People from the city had informed him about the birds whereabouts
e) He was attracted by the birds calls
Directions (Q. 6-8) Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
6. Rather
a) Regular
d) But

b) Quite
e) Known

c) Instead

7. Release
a) Free
d) Let expire

b) Vacate
e) Make public

c) Vent

8. Reverence
a) Respect
d) Hope

b) Detail
e) Remembrance

c) Astonishment

Directions (Q. 9-10) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
9. Reluctant
a) True
d) Hesitant

b) Clever
e) Keen

c) Averse

10. Skilfully
a) Angrily
d) Cheaply

b) Haphazardly
e) Deftly

c) Highly

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 3

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Once a thief named Kalu had planned to loot the king's treasury. At midnight,
he went to the palace and began to drill a hole in the side wall of the treasury. The
king, who was awake in his bedroom just above the treasury, came out to
investigate the whirring sound. He was dressed in a simple nightgown and the thief
could not recognize him. He asked Kalu who he was and what he was doing. The
latter said, "Sir, I am a thief and intend to loot this treasury. I presume that you are
also a thief and have come with the same intentin. No matter, let us both go inside
and we shall share the loot equally. "Both entered the treasury and divided all the
money and the jewels equally between them.
Inside a locker they found three big diamond pieces. As the thief was puzzled as
to how to divide the three pieces into two portions, the king siggested. "We have
taken away everything else. Let us leave one diamond piece for the poor king and
share the rest equally". Kalu agreed and when he took his leave, the king asked for
his name and address. As Kalu had taken a vow of telling only the truth, he have the
correct information.
The king took away his share of the loot and hid it in his room. Next morning
he asked his Prime Minister to inspect the treasury as he had heard some strange
sounds during the previous night. The Prime Minister saw to his horror that all the
valuables were missing and only a single diamond was left, perhaps inadvertantly,
by the theif. He put the diamond in his oiwn shift pocket as its loss could be
ascribed to the thief and nobody would suspect the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister went back to the king. The king particularly enquirerd. "Do you mean that
the theif has completely denuded the treasury of its valuables and not a single item
has been left?" The Prime Minister confirmed it. The king asked the chief of police
to bring in Kalu. When Kalu came he was unable to recfognize the king as his
accomplice of the previous night. The king asked him, "Are you the theif who h as
stolen everything from my treasury leaving nothing back?" Kalu confirmed it but
said, "Sir, I did leave one diamond back in the locker as advised by an accomplice
of mine and it should st ill be there." The Prime Minister interrupted saying, "Your
Majesty, this thief is lying. There is nothing left in the locker." The king asked the
police chief to search the pockets of the Prime Minister, from where the missing
diamond was recovered. The kind told his courtiers, "Here is a Prime Minister, who
is a liar and a thief and here is a thief who is at truthful gentleman."
11. The king came out in the middle of the night in order to
a) Help kalu to break into the palace treasury
b) Share the loot equally between Kalu and himself
c) Find out the source of and reason for the sound he had heard
d) Catch the thief who had come to steal his valuables
e) None of these
12. Kalu could not recognize the king because
a) The king was wearing clothes like those of an ordinary person
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 4

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) The kings clothes were covered by a simple nightdown


c) Kalu had never seen the king before
d) Kalu had not seen the king descending from his bedroom
e) None of these

13. Which of the following made the king suspect the Prime Minister? The
Prime Ministers statement that
a) Except for one piece of diamond all other valuables were stolen
b) All the valuables without any exception were stolen from the treasury
c) The thief was lying when he said he had left one diamond back in the
locker
d) The search for the diamond did not yield any favourable result
e) None of these
14. Which of the following horified the Prime Minister?
a) The valuables missing from the kings treasury
b) A piece of diamond left in the locker
c) Certain strange sounds heard by the Prime Minister
d) The fact that the king suspected him of stealth
e) None of these
Directions (Q. 15-17) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word given in bold as used in the passage.
15. Accomplice
a) Co-traveller
d) Coordinator

b) Collaborator
e) Commuter

c) Controller

16. Ascribed
a) Attributed
d) Withdrew

b) Donated
e) Connected

c) Attached

17. Denuded
a) Uncovered
d) Discarded

b) stripped
e) Abandoned

c) Destroyed

Directions (Q. 18-19) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
18. Inadvertently
a) Knowingly
d) Unwittingly

b) Sensibly
e) Unscrupulously

c) Indifferently

19. Previous
a) New
d) Modern

b) Preceding
e) Subsequent

c) Novel

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 5

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Banking sector reforms in India were introduced in order to improve
efficiency in the process of financial intermediation. It was expected that banks
would take advantage of the changing operational environment and improve their
performance. Towards this end, the Reserve Bank of India initiated a host of
measures for the creation of a competitive environment. Deregulation of interest
rates on both deposit and lending sides imparted freedom to banks to appropriate
price their products and services. To compete effectively with non-banking entities,
banks were permitted to undertake newer activities like investment banking,
securities trading and insurance business. This was facilitated through amendments
in the relevant acts which permitted PSBs to raise equity from the market up to
threshold limit and also enabling the entry of new private and foreign banks. This
changing face of banking led to an erosion of margins on traditional banking
business, promoting banks to search for newer activities to augment their free
incomes. At the same time, banks also needed to devote focused attention to
operational efficiency in order to contain their transaction costs. Simultaneously
with the deregulation measures prudential norms were instituted to strengthen the
safety and soundness of the banking system. Recent internal empirical research
found that over the period 1992-2003, there has been a discernible improvement in
the efficiency of Indian banks. The increasing trend in efficiency has been fairly
uniform, irrespective of the ownership pattern. The rate of such improvement has,
however, not been sufficiently high. The analysis also reveals that PSBs and private
sector banks in India did not differe significantly in terms of their efficiency
measures. Foreign banks, on the other hand, recorded higher efficiency as compared
with their Indian counterparts.
20. Prudential norms were initiated in the banking sector with a view to
a) Increase operational efficiency
b) Contain the non-performing assets
c) Strengthen the soundness of banking system
d) Improve the custome service
e) None of these
21. Banking sector reforms in India were introduced for the purpose of
a) Giving more and more employment opportunities to the educated
unemployed
b) Taking care of the downtrodden masses
c) Increasing efficiency in the banking activities
d) Giving better return to the Central Government
e) None of these
22. Banks can control their transaction costs by
a) Restricting their lending activities
b) Undertaking more and more non-banking activities
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 6

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

c) Encouraging the customers to bank with other banks


d) Devoting more attention to operational efficiency
e) None of these

23. The recent internal empirical research conducted by the RBI found that
a) There is cut-throat competition in banking industry
b) The rate of return is not commensurate with the operational cost
c) The rate of improvement has not been high
d) Nationalised banks and private sector banks did differ in the efficiency
measures
e) None of these
24. Which of the following statements recognising improvement in efficiency is
true in the context of the passage?
a) There is no discremible difference in efficiency parameters
b) The foreign banks recorded higher efficiency
c) The efficiency of foreign banks is not comparable with Indian banks
d) The rate of such improvement in efficiency was very high
e) None of these
Directions (Q. 25-26) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
25. Relevant
a) Recorded
d) Stringent

b) Opposite
e) Germane

c) Appropriate

26. Augment
a) Make
d) Increase

b) Become
e) Envelop

c) Enlarge

Directions (Q. 27-28) Choose the word that is most opposite of the word printed in
bold as used in the passage.
27. Improve
a) Retard
b) Disprove
c) Prove
d) Accelerate
e) Degenerate
28. Reveal
a) Show
d) Exhibit

b) Conceal
e) None of these

c) Secretive

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the World not only due to his
riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The
rays of the Sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated,
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 7

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

with her beauty and brain. At the right hand of the king, she was known to sit and
aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep-set eyes, when you
committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity
preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give.
People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the
compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends
to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he
had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual
labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children.
Every morning, he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness
of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little selfcentered. His World began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So,
he would eat and drink to his delight and ret urn home with whatever he found
excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he
always put on a long face, when he reached home.
One day as he was relising the bowl of rice he had just received from a
humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya was to pass from the very place he was
standing. Her g enerosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face
and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins
enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He
thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so
he can fulfil his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to
speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the
curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees
and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show
this beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could
give her in return, surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of
rice. With spite in him he just pricked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the
queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and
said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen.
How could she ask him for something in return, when she hadnt given him
anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice.
Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said men had come and kept it
there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a
hard mental only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find
5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl,
thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

29. According to the passage, which of the following is definitely true about
Rani Matsya?
A. She was beautiful.
B. She was intelligent.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 8

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

C. She was kind.


a) Only A
d) A and B

b) Only B
e) All the three

c) Only C

30. What does the phrase pulled a long face as used in the passage mean?
a) Scratched his face
b) Looked very sorrowful
c) Disguised himself
d) Put on makeup
e) None of these
31. What can possibly be the moral of the story?
a) Do onto others as you would want others to do to you
b) Patience is a virtue
c) Winning is not everything, it is the journey that counts
d) Change is the only constant thing in life
e) Teamwork is more we and less me
32. Why was begging the only option for Raman to get food?
a) As Raman belonged to a family of beggars
b) As begging was the easiest way for him to obtain food
c) As Ramans family had forced him to beg
d) As he had lost all his property and was too old to do manual work
e) None of these
33. Which of the following words can be used to describe Raman?
A. Deceitful
B. Selfish
C. Timid
a) Only A
b) Only B
c) A and B
d) B and C
e) All the three
34. What did Raman find after he returned home from his meeting with Rani
Matsya?
a) The Ranis soldiers
b) An empty house
c) The five grains of rice that he had given to Rani Matsya
d) A sack full of rice and five gold coins
e) None of these
Directions (Q. 35-36) Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in
meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
35. Galloped
a) Hurtled
d) Jumped
www.BankExamsToday.com

b) Stumbled
e) Ran

c) Slumbered
Page 9

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

36. Revered
a) Remembered
d) Embraced

b) Feared
e) Respected

c) Talked about

Directions (Q. 37-38) Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
37. Reveal
a) Stop
d) Pending

b) Conceal
e) Tell

c) Present

38. Elated
a) Afraid
d) Depressed

b) Poor
e) Grounded

c) Happy

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Rahul a young householder, used to study the scriptures everyday under a
guru. One day the guru was explaining the following passage from the Upanishads.
No husband is loved by his wife for his own sake but it is all for the sake
of the self ____ No sons are lov ed by their fathers for their sake but it is all for the
sake of the self that the sons become dear to him.
At that stage, Rahul intervened and said, Sir, in my case, both my parents
and my wife love me so dearly for my own sake that if I am delayed by a few
minutes in reach ing home they get highly agitated and if something happens to me
they will die. Guruji said, You shall learn the truth of it tomorrow, when you see
the result of a test I am going to h old. Before going to bed tonight, you must
swallow this herbal powder. As a result, you will lie as if dead tomorrow morning,
but you will be able to hear all that is spoken in your presence. After a few hours,
when the effect of this medicine wears off, you will become normal and get up. You
will see the fun.
Rahul did as instructed and in the morning his wife and parents found him
dead-lying motionless without any pulse or heartbeat. The guruji asked for a jar
full of water and said, I shall draw out all the bad destiny responsible for yhour
sons death into this water. One of you will have to drink this water. The one who
drinks will die immediately, while Rahul will be restored to life. Tell me who
among you is prepared to die for him?
Both the parents refused saying, we are old and, helping each other
mutually. If one dies, the other will not have anybody to help. So our drinking the
water is out of question. Rahuls young wife also said, I am very young and have
not seen anything of this world yet. When such old people, who have seen life in its
fulness, do not want to die how can you expect me to volunteer for death?
A brighter idea flashed into the mind if the fat her who told the guruji, Sir,
you are a reunciate and have no relatives to mourn your death. Why dont you drink
the water yourself? We will conduct your funeral in a grand manner.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 10

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

39. The contents of the passage prove that


a) What the Upanishad states appears to be true
b) Rahuls initial understanding about his family members was true
c) The guru did not have any miraculous power
d) The guru did not have thorough knowledge of scriptures
e) None of these
40. After experimenting as per the gurus plan, Rahul realised that
a) His parents would do anything for his sake
b) His wife would readily sacrifice for his welfare
c) The gurus prediction had proved to be wrong
d) One loves oneself more than one loves anyone else
e) None of these
41. What according to the passage, was the essence of the Upanishad passage?
a) Sons are loved by their fathers for the sake of themselves
b) Relatives are dear to us because we love them
c) Most human beings are not selfish
d) Every persons actions are to gratify himself or herself
e) None of these
42. The guru wanted a jar of water to
a) Drink from as he was very thirsty
b) Extract the bad elements responsible for Rahuls death
c) Give it to Rahuls parents to drink from
d) Sprinkle it on Rahuls dead body to bring him to life
e) None of these
43. Which of the following was proposed by Rahuls father to the guru?
a) He may be given the enchanted water to drink
b) Rahuls wife was the most appropriate person to drink the magical water
c) Rahul be brought back to life without the death of anybody else
d) The guru himself should participate in Rahuls grand funeral
e) None of these
Directions: (Q. 44-46) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
44. Refused
a) Denied
d) Defused

b) Accepted
e) Accomplished

c) Declined

45. Bright
a) Vivid
d) Shadow

b) Dark
e) Stupid

c) Dazzling

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 11

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

46. Agitated
a) Roused
d) Claim

b) Troubled
e) Angered

c) Excited

Directions (Q. 47-48) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning
of the word given in bold as used in the passage.
47. Apprised
a) Respected
d) Shown

b) Valued
e) Informed

c) Assessed

48. Entreated
a) Respected
d) Commanded

b) Implored
e) Managed

c) Desired

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Uncle said Luke to the old Sean, You seem to be well fed, though I
know no one looks after you. Nor have I seen you leave your residence at any time.
Tell me how do you manage it?
Because Sean replied, I have a good feed every night at the emperors
orchard. After dark, I go there myself and pick out enough fruits to last a fortnight.
Luke proposed to accompany his uncle to the orchard. Though reluctant
because of Lukes habit of euphoric exhibition of extreme excitement, Sean agreed
to take him along.
At the orchard while Sean hurriedly collected the fruits and left, Luke on
the other hand at the sight of unlimited supply of fruits was excited and lifted his
voice which brought ecmperors men immediately to his side. They seized him and
mistook him as the sole cause of damage to the orchard. Although Luke reiterated
that he was a bird of passage, they pounded him mercilessly before setting him
free.
49. How did old Sean manage to meet his food requirements?
a) By buying food from the market
b) His nephew Luke took care of his requirements
c) Luke brought fruits from the emperors orchard for Sean
d) He picked up fruits from the emperors orchard
e) The emperor provided him with ample supply of fruits
50. Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?
a) Sean was a poor and suffering man
b) Luke came to know about the orchard from his uncle
c) Sean initially hesitated to take his nephew along
d) Luke as finally set free
e) Both Sean and Luke collected fruits from Emperors orchard
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 12

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

51. Why was Sean reluctant to take Luke along?


a) Becausre he was a selfish man
b) He feared that Lukes reaction may alert the Emperors men
c) Because Luke could harm him
d) He wanted to bring fruits for Luke himself
e) He knew Luke was a greedy person
52. How often did Sean visit the emperors orchard?
a) Daily
b) Once a month
c) In a period of two weeks
d) Never, his nephew Luke brought fruits for him
e) Everyday during midnight
53. Luke remitted behind at the orchard because he
a) Was greedy and wanted to collect more fruits
b) Waited for the Emperors men to arrest him
c) Lost his composure and started expressing his feelings loudly
d) Had waited for his uncle to return
e) Could not move in the dark
Directions (Q. 54-56) Choose the word/phrase which is most nearly the same in
meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
54. Reiterated
a) Pleaded
d) Repeated

b) Regurgitated
e) Recapitulated

c) Protested

55. Extreme
a) End
d) Serious

b) High
e) Moderate

c) Severe

56. Reluctant
a) Disinclined
d) Resistant

b) Opposed
e) None of these

c) Against

Directions (Q. 57-58) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
57. Pounded
a) Weighed
d) Attended

b) Released
e) Caressed

c) Paid

58. Mercilessly
a) Calmly

b) Compassionately

c) Mildly

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 13

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Forgivably

e) Sympathetically

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
The King of Kanchi set off to conquer Kamat. He was victorious in battle.
The elephants were laden with sandalwood, ivory gold and precious stones, taken
from the conquered kingdom of Kamat. They would be a part of the victory parade
for his sujbjects. On his way back home he stopped at a temple, finished his prayers
to the goddess and turned to leave. Around his neck, was a garland of scarlet
hibiscus and as was the custom for all, his forehead was anointed with red sandal
paste. His Minister and the court jester were his only companions. At one spot, in a
mango grove by the wayside, they spied some children play. The King said, Let
me go and see what they are playing.
The children had lined up two ros of clay dolls and were playing warriors
and battles. The king asked, Who is fighting with whom? They said, Kamat is at
battle with Kanchi. The king asked, who is winning and who is the loser? The
children puffed their chests up and said, Kamat will win and Kanchi will lose.
The Minister froze in disbelief, the King was furious and the juester burst into
laughter.
The King was soon joined by his troops and the children were still
immersed in their game. The King commanded, Cane them hard. The childrens
parents came running from the nearby village and said, They are nave, it was just
a game, please grant them pardon. The King called his commander and ordred,
Teach these children and the village a slesson so that they never forget the king of
Kanchi. He went back to his camp.
That evening the commander stood before the King. He bowed low in
shame and said, Your Majesty, with the exception of hyenas and vultures, all lie
silent in the village. The Minister said, His Majestys honour has been saved.
The priest said, The goddess has blessed our King. The jester said, Your
highness, please grant me leave to go now. The King asked, But why? The jester
said, I cannot kill, I cannot maim, I can only laugh at Gods gift of life. Trembling
In the face of the Kings anger he bravely continued, If I stay in your Majestys
court, I shall become like you and I shall forget how to laugh.
59. Why were the elephants carrying loads of gold and other valuables?
a) This was what the king had looted from Karnat to distribute among his
soldiers as a reward
b) This was the kings offering to the deity out of gratitude for making him
victorious
c) It was what the king had plundered from Karnat to display to the people
of his kingdom as a sign of victory
d) So that the people of the kingdom of Karnat acknowledged him as their
rew ruler
e) None of these
60. Why did the king anoint his head with red sandal paste?
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 14

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) As a mark of celebration to show he had been victorious


b) It was the usual practice for all devotees at the temple
c) To show other devotees that he was king
d) To priest requested him to do so
e) To show his soldiers that he had visited the temple
61. What excuse was given for the childrens behaviour?
a) They were disobedient to their parents wishes
b) They were unaware of the true facts of the battle
c) They were upset that their army had lost
d) They were in the habit of lying
e) None of these

62. Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?


a) The king stopped at the temple to see what else could be plundered
b) The people of the village to which the children belonged developed great
respect for the king
c) The commander was ashamed at having obeyed the kings orders to cane
the children
d) The jester was unhappy that the king had defeated the army of karnat
e) None of these
63. Why did the jester resign from his post?
a) He felt that the king was too influenced by the Minister
b) To show that he disapproved of the kings action of punishing the
children
c) He did not want to accompany the king on his war campaign
d) He was no longer able to make the king laugh
e) None of these
64. Why was the king angry with the children?
a) Because the game they were playing was dangerous
b) They had lied him
c) They did not recognize him as king
d) They had unknowingly insulted him
e) They were rude to him
Directions (Q. 65-67) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
65. Froze
a) Cold
d) Stood still

b) Numb
e) Chill

c) Shivered

66. Leave
a) Holiday

b) Transfer

c) Exit

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 15

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Permission
67. Spied
a) Noticed
d) Spot

e) Farewell

b) Keep watch
e) Caught

c) Followed

Directions (Q. 68-69) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
68. Immersed in
a) Safe from
d) Drowning in

b) Distracted from
e) Entertained by

c) Boring

69. Pardon
a) Punishment
d) Intolerance

b) Excuse
e) Imprison

c) Convict

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Various measures have been deployed to combat food inflation. Subsidies
on food and fertilisers, imports of food as well as regulations to prevent hoarding
farm produce did succeed in stabilising prices from time to time. But such crisis
management has been able to provide only short lived relief, and prices have gone
up from 2007.
Bringing down food inflation will benefit the consumer, but make prices
unattractive to farmers. This will accentuate poverty. Unremunerative prices
discourage investments in agriculture, causing supply side shortages, fueling
inflation further. So, the most effective way of prices, ploughing a larger share of
the consumer spend back to the farmer.
First we need to lower transaction costs. The Agricultural Produce Market
Committee Acts mandate all farm produce should be brought to mandis for farmer
pays to transport his produce over loing distances, before knowing the price at
which his produce would be sold, or whether any other market would have paid a
better price.
The journey from farm to consumer involves multiple levels of
transportation, handling expenses, commissions of agents and a mandi cess, adding
nearly 20% cost to food prices. This absurdity was acknowledged years ago, and a
new Model APMC Act recommended by the Centre in 2003.
This Model Act must be implemented in all states. Unless farmers have the
freedom to sell at farm-gate or other transparent platforms directly to buyers,
transaction costs will remain high and drive consumer prices higher. Next, we need
to cut wastage. Anywhere from, 5% to 40% of food is wasted along the chain,
depending on the perishability of the crop and the season. First, market instruments
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 16

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

must empower farmers to produce as per tommorrows demand, rather than be


guided by yesterdats prices.
If the Forward Contracts Regulation Act is amended to permit trading in
options, farmers are assured of a minimum price when sowing, based on future
projections simulated by a market consensus. This will align production volumes to
future demand conditions and minimise wastage.
70. What has been the overall effect of the various measures taken to combat
food inflation?
a) Such measures have successfully stablisied prices of food items for a
longer period
b) Such measures have proved ineffective in the long run, and the prices
have gone up.
c) Such measures could provide only a short lived relief
d) Only b) and c)
71. What prompted the Centre to bring about a new Model APMC Act? Select
the most appropriate option.
a) The earlier version of the APMC Act forced the farmers to bear huge
transportation cost
b) The APMC Act provided that every farmer had to sell his produce only
in man di and that also through agents.
c) APMC Act was not acceptable to farmers, and on several occasions they
had expressed their resentment against the said Act.
d) The APMC Act could not provide relief to farmers, rather it led the food
prices to costlier by 20%.
72. Which of the following statements is contrary to the facts mentioned in the
given passage?
a) Unremunerative prices discourage investment in agriculture resulting
into supply side shortage
b) To contain food inflation the consumer prices should be lowered.
c) Market instruments must empower farmers to produce as per yesterdays
demand.
d) The new Model of APMC Act was recommended by the centre to lower
the transaction cost.
73. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Absurdity
a) Logic
b) Wisdom
c) Folly
d) Seriousness
74. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Virtual
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 17

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) Real
d) Actual

b) Practical

c) Authentic

75. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Simulated
a) Unexpected
b) Classified
c) Delivered
d) Imitated
76. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Accentuate
a) Alleviate
b) Increase
c) Accentuate
d) Highlight
77. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage
Fueling
a) Inciting
b) Lessening
c) Inflaming
d) Sustaining
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Indias external debt profile appears similar to that of other major market
economies. But its short term external debt stock is now higher than countries such
as Brazil and Russia (in terms of percentage of GDP), according to Taimur Baig and
Kaushik Datta, economists at Deutsche Bank. Indias share of short term debt
relative to the stock of total external debt is also higher than other emerging market
economies, with the exception of Turkey, they say.
Though short term debt was contained in FY 14, it was largely due to a
slowdown in imports and may again rise once there is a rebound in growth and
imports pick up. Some economists point out that since GDP is expressed in dollar
terms, a weak rupee translates into a lower GDP number and hence, a lower ratio
could be misleading.
However, the composition of long term debt which is reckoned to be
durable and safe is also worrisome. While the share of almost risk free sovereign,
multilateral and bilateral credit has reduced significantly over the years, it is private
corporate sector debt and retail component in terms of NRI deposits that has
swelled over the years. Proceeds from the FCNR (B) swap and overseas borrowing
schemes were, in fact, the main contributors to the $31.2 bn increase in external
debt in FY 14, which were facilitated by the Reserve Bank to stabilise the Indian
currency.
NRI deposits do not pose material risks (as they are generally rolled over).
But the increase in the share of external commercial borrowings exposes the
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 18

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

domestic corporate sector significantly to external shocks, including adverse


exchange rate movements, says Samiran Chakrabarty, Chief India Economist,
Standard Ch artered Bank. Every year about $20 bn is scheduled for repayment. The
amount may not seem alarming, but the risk arises if there is a global liquidity
squeeze.
The recent trouble in Iraq has added another dimension to external sector
woes, which is that the reduction in trade deficit in FY 14 may reverse again.
Already struggling with a record low growth, high inflation, a weak currency, low
manufacturing growth and possibility of sub-normal monsoon, the threat of oil
supply shock and the resultant increase in prices add to the risks faced by the
country, which could hamper Indias envisaged improvement in economic growth
in FY 15, say Madan Sabnavis and Kavita Chacko of Care Ratings. If crude price
risks persist, the current account deficit, which was contained in 2013-14, could
deteriorate further and also add to pressure on the rupee. Care Ratings has projected
a CAD for the year at 2.5% of GDP, assuming stable crude oil prices and a re
covery in industrial production. Higher persistent crude prices would upset this
calculation.
78. Which of the following statements is contrary to the facts mentioned in the
given passage?
a) In FY 14, short term debt was contained due to slowdown in imports.
b) Short term debt is directly proportional to t he quantum of imports.
c) A weak rupee translates into a lower GDP number
d) Private corporate sector debt has decreased over the years
79. What is/are the reasons of the author being apprehensive about Indias
improvement in economic growth in FY 15?
a) The recent Iraq crisis may lead to reduction in trade deficit in the current
financial year
b) The possibility of sub-normal monsoon
c) High inflation and low manufacturing growth
d) All of the above
80. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Contained
a) Neglected
b) Accomodated
c) Controlled
d) Excluded
81. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Reckoned
a) Nullified
b) Abandoned
c) Started
d) Considered

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 19

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

82. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Envisaged
a) Anticipated
b) Amazed
c) Doubted
d) Discarded
83. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Proceeds
a) Profit
b) Outgo
c) Income
d) Interests
84. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Squeeze
a) Congestion
b) Crunch
c) Restraint
d) Release
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
The first budget of the new administration needed to focus on two key
macro problems a path to fiscal consolidation and a clear signal for structural
reforms to boost the long run growth trajectory of the economy. The budget
delivers on both counts.
On the fiscal deficit, the new government has continued from where the
previous administration left in laying out a path and a commitmen to reducing the
deficit to 3% of GDP by FY 17. On the structural reform path, there was a clear
focus on boosting labour intensive manufacturing and growth.
The excise duty cuts for food processing and footwear industries, creation
of SEZs, single window clearance, tax deductions for investments, reforms to the
Apprenticeship Act and Rs.10,000 Crore as venture capital for SMEs were all small
steps in that direction. While the fiscal path is admirable, it also may be too
aggressive. It may be difficult to get a 20% increase in tax revenues in a year when
growth is likely to remain below 6%.
The assumption of service tax revenues growing by 40% may be a tad
optimistic. Further, the 3G telecom privatisation proceeds of Rs.45,000 Crore also
look ambitious. To achieve the governments medium term targets will not be easy.
First, we would have preferred a more realistic and gradual approach to
consolidation. Taking an extra year to reach the 3% deficit target (i.e. by FY 18
instead of FY 17) might be more realistic, and would not compromise macro
stability. Second, there is an urgent need for a return to fiscal rules and the FRBM
Act, with due sanctions, as the Economic Survey argues. Without it, and despite the
medium term path laid out in the budget, there may be an incentive to pause on
fiscal consolidation, as happened in FY 09 and was witnessed through FY 12.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 20

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

More than 80 countries follow some sort of a fiscal rule and have found them very
useful in imposing fiscal descipline.
Third, if consolidation is based on increasing the tax base, then further
erosions could be avoided. In this regard, the increase in income tax exemption
limits further reduces an already small tax base. Only 3% of Indians (35 mn) pay
income tax compared with more than 20% of Chinese and over 45% of Americans.
The strategy that China followed was to not raise I ncome tax thresholds with rising
incomes to increase the base further. If the government consistently raises the
threshold limits, it would be difficult to expand the tax base.
Fourth, tax administration could be improved by having an independent
revenue service, with its own budget and autonomy in hiring staff. As the
government implements its revenue strategy, autonomy and reforms in
administration could be potentially very helpful.
Fifth, a road map for reducing subsidies, particularly the large fertiliser
subsidy, can give greater credence to the consolidation path.
The budget marks a very good beginning in terms of signalling a
commitment to fiscal discipline and structural regorms. While the strategy seems to
improve GDP growth and, thereby, reduce fiscal deficit through revenue byoyancy,
such a strategy is fraught with risks.
We think that to meet the consolidation path requires a clear set of rules,
measures to broadbase the tax system and a road map to reduce subsidies. This
budget lays out the overall vision.
85. Which of the following statements is not based on the facts mentioned in
the given passage?
a) It will be difficult to get a 20% increase in income tax revenue if the
growth remains below 6%.
b) It will be difficult to achieve governments medium term targets.
c) The new government has committed to reducing the fiscal deficit to 3%
of GDP by FY 17.
d) Among India, China and America, the highest number of tax payers live
in America.
86. What is being done by the government for structural reform?
a) Special attention was paid on the growth of labour intensive
manufacturing.
b) Excise duty cut for food processing and footwear industries was allowed
c) SEZs are to be created
d) All of the above
87. What is/are the prerequisite(s) to meet the consolidation path? Give your
answer in the context of the given passage.
a) More and more people should be brought under the net of income tax.
b) A blue print should be prepared to reduce subsidies.
c) An independent, autonomous body with an authority to inspect the
functioning of income tax department should be brought into existence.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 21

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Only a) and b)

88. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Erosion
a) Destruction
b) Deterioration
c) Strengthening
d) Consumption
89. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Buoyancy
a) Elasticity
b) Snap
c) Rigidity
d) Feslience
90. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Fraught
a) Empty
b) Devoid
c) Lack
d) Abound
91. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Consistently
a) Steadily
b) Customarily
c) Never
d) Congruously
92. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Credence
a) Distrust
b) Assurance
c) Belief
d) Credit
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
The RBI orders a moratorium when a banks financial stability is
threatened. Depositors face some restrictions on withdrawing money from their
accounts during this period. Currently the restriction is confined to premature
withdrawl of FDs in case of Kapol Bank. Customers can still withdraw money from
their savings and current accounts. However, the Bhanking Regulation Act has
provisions for relief to customers facing a financial emergency. Banks
administrative board can approach the RBI with a plea for relaxing the withdrawal
limits in case of account holders such as those who have saved or deposited money
for their medical treatment or educational purpose and pensioners, says VN
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 22

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Kulkarni, chief credit counsellor with the Bank of India backed Abhay Credit
Counselling Centre.
Since one cannot do much after the bank gets into trouble or the RBI comes
into the picture, it would be wise to take some precautions. Depositors need to be
selective not only in choosing the bank, but also in depositing the amount using
different combinations, says Kulkarni. For instance, you can maintain the first
deposit in your name, held jointly with your spouse or children. Similarly, the
second joint FD could be created with your wife as the first holder. This will help
you benefit from the deposit insurance cover extended to retail depositors.
Currently, deposits are insured upto Rs.1 Lakh per bank, and not per branch
of the same bank. You can also look at maintaining FDs in more than one bank to
spread out the risk.
However, this may not be feasible for some individuals. For instance, a
retiree who wishes to invest her huge retirement corpus in FDs. It is not feasible to
split a huge amount of, say, Rs.50 Lakh into 50 deposits with different banks.
Senior citizens have to strike a balance between convenience, risks and higher
returns that some of the smaller banks offer, says Suresh Sadagopan, certified
financial planner and founder, Ladder. Financial Advisories. He recommends
diversification by investing in fixed income options like company FDs, nonconvertible debentures as also more secure alternatives such as tax free bonds and
senior citizens savings scheme, which offers an interest rate of 9.2%. You must also
evaluate the banks credentials carefully before parking your money in it. While
selecting the bank, you need to ascertain its gross NPAs. It should be not higher
than 5%. Similarly, ensure that your bank has adequate capital as prescribed by the
regulators, says Kulkarni. That is, minimum 9% of risk-weighted assets, and at
least 12%, in case of cooperative banks. You will find this information in the
balance sheets of banks.
93. Which of the following is not definitely true with respect to Kapol Bank?
a) It is a private sector bank
b) At present, premature withdrawal of FD cannot be allowed.
c) Customers of this bank have been allowed withdrawal of money from
their CASA.
d) There are no restrictions on withdrawal except of premature fixed
deposits.
94. Find the statement which is not based on the facts mentioned in the passage.
a) Under certain circumstances, account holders facing financial emergency
can be allowed withdrawal of moiney beyond withdrawal limit as per the
provisions laid down in the Banking Regulation Act.
b) When the bank gets into trouble it is better for a depositor to be selective
in both ch oosing the bank and depositing the amount using different
combinations.
c) When the financial stability of a bank is at stake the central bank ordres a
moratorium
d) The central bank has ordered a moratorium on Kapol Bank.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 23

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

95. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in
bold as used in the passage.
Parking
a) Removing
b) Depositing
c) Stopping
d) Walking
96. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in
bold as used in the passage.
Picture
a) Scene
b) Mainstream
c) Portrait
d) Role
97. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in
bold as used in the passage.
Diversification
a) Variegation
b) Homogenous
c) Allocation
d) Division
98. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Threatened
a) Warned
b) Jeopardised
c) Ensured
d) Exposed
99. Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning of the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Strike
a) Maintain
b) Hit
c) Knock
d) Smack
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Indias banking sector may be getting ready for a wave of consolidation as
the country tries to build institutions of world class proportions. Four big state run
banks State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and Bank of
India have already begun on exercise to identify takeover targets to gain access to
franchises that would augment their capabilities, said three top bankers familiar
with the move. The top managements of the four banks are in the process of
preparing a blueprint that would explain the rationale for absorbing one or two
entities, said the people cited above, none of whom wanted to be named. Employees
at these state run banks are engaged in the exercise after Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley gave the lenders the go-ahead to decide how they would strategiese to
remain relevant in the emerging economic scenario.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 24

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

We are hearing from the corridors of finance ministry that there is


seriousness on consolidation of banks, said an executive from one of the top four
banks. The sense we are getting is that first there could be merger of at least one
SBI associate bank with SBI to kick off the consolidation process. Although no
names of likely acquisition targets are being discussed at these four banks, the key
conditions for a smaller bank will be regional, technological and cultural
advantages. For instance, a bank such as Bank of Baroda, which does not have a
presence in the East, may prefer one from that part of the country. State run banks
have weakened over the years as governments have treated them as an organ of the
administration and used them to push their social agenda. Meanwhile, lenders in
neighbouring China have acquired scale while those in India are puny by
comparison, giving them little clout in global markets.
The economic downturn, with growth having almost halved from the peak,
has exposed the fault lines in the system. The parlous financial position of the
government has left banks capital starved - the allocation for this year is tiny
compared with the amount needed to meet Basel III standards. And, to access
capital from the market, the state run banks need a strategy to turn more profitable.
Currently, they are labouring under bad debt on account of companies finding it
difficult to repay loans because of the slump.
Government has made it clear that they will not give any capital, said one
of the bankers. Banks that have the capital and the capability to raise capital could
look at acquisitions, he said, while adding Nothing has reached the drawing
board. Banks are only doing all kinds of permutations and combinations.
To be sure, state run bank consolidation has been discussed for nearly a
decade, but little progress has been made, except for shotgun weddings that were
aimed at rescuing ventures in poor shape. Inertia among banks, cultural issues and
fears of trade union unrest held up any such move. That may now change with the
new government.
There have been some suggestions for consolidation of public sector
banks, Jaitley said in his July 10 Budget speech. Government, in principle, agress
to consider these suggestions.
A committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India under former Axis Bank
Chairman P.J. Nayak had suggested that the health of state run banks was poor. To
strengthen them, the report said it would be better either to privatise these banks
and allow their future solvency to be subject to market competition, including
through mergers; or to design a radically new governance structure for these banks
which would better ensure their ability to compete successfully, in order that
repeated claims for capital support from the government, unconnected with market
returns, are avoided.
The market share of the public sector banks is forecast to decline from 80%
in 2000 to just over 60% in 2025, Nayak had said. They stack up poorly in many
respects against non-state institutions. For instance, net profit per employee at the
new private sector banks was about four tiems that of the SBI Group in the year
ended March 2013.
100.

Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 25

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) Four big state run banks have begun to identify takeover targets.
b) The finance minister has given free hand to state run banks to make their
own strategy for banking business.
c) The four big state run banks have already decided the names of some
small banks likely to be taken over
d) According to PJ Nayak Committee report, the state run banks were not
performing well.
101.
Why have banks turned capital starved? Answer in the context of
the passage?
a) Because of excessive loans santioned to malafide customers
b) Because of bad monetary policy of the RBI
c) Because of the excessive payments towards government sponsored
schemes without appropriate provision for them
d) Because of the dangerous financial position of the government
102.
Which of the following is possibly the most appropriate title for the
passage?
a) Policy Paralysis of the Central Government
b) The Economic Downturn
c) Union Budget 2014: A Review
d) Consolidation of Banks
103.
Which of the following statements regarding the consolidation of
state run banks is/are true? Answer in the context of the passage.
a) Efforts for consolidation of state run banks are on for past one decade but
nothing remarkable has come out as yet.
b) The consolidation of state run banks is a complex task and it will take
some more years for its completion.
c) Banks are doing all kinds of permutations and combinations but the
result is cipher.
d) Only a) and b)
104.
What does the phrase kick off mean as used in the passage?
a) Discontinue
b) Breakdown
c) Smash
d) Begin
105.
Under the current scenarioi what do state run banks need to do to
access capital from the market?
a) They need to float public shares
b) They need a strategy to earn more profit
c) They should increase lending rate to attract depositors.
d) They should announce handsome returns to depositors.
106.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 26

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Acquisition
a) Redemption
d) Dearth

b) Forfeit

c) Possession

107.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Parlous
a) Harmful
b) Strong
c) Critical
d) Powerful
108.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Inertia
a) Inactivity
b) Liveliness
c) Awakening
d) Interest
109.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Solvency
a) Destitution
b) Depriviation
c) Impotency
d) Financial competence
110.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Puny
a) Trivial
b) Strong
c) Inferior
d) Tiny
111.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Augment
a) Reinforce
b) Strengthen
c) Magnify
d) Multiply
Read the passage carefully and answer the given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Sanjaya Barus book has been perceived as an attack on PM Manmohan
Singh by a disgruntled employee who was denied a job by the Prime Minister in his
second term. This is a completely wrong reading of the book. It is, in fact, a defence
of Manmohan by a member of his fan club. Fortunately, it is not a fawning
hagiography. It is straightforward and gossipy, but not excessively so. It is an
important contribution to contemporary Indian history; it can also be read as a text
book for those who wish to understand how politics and administration actually
work in India of our times. Like the Crossman Diaries in Britain in earlier times and
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 27

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

like Duty by Robert Gates in the US in recent times, it throws light on contingencies
and counterfactuals.
Future historians may see inevitable and inexorable patterns in the way
things have unfolded in India in the last decade. Barus book will be a source that
will help the historian focus with some humility on issues of choice and chance.
Baru was recruited by Manmohan and worked with him closely as Media
Adviser, Baru is a loyal defender of his boss. Contrary to the popular perception of
Manmohan being dour or politically clumsy, Baru makes the case that the
economist turned politician is, in fact, a clever and sophisticated operator.
Manmohans excellent relationship with wily and experienced politicians like
Sharad Pawar, Karunanidhi, Lalu Prasad, Harkishen Surjeet, Jyoti Basu and even
Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh would not have been possible if he had been nave or
weak. On issues which mattered to Manmohan like Free Trade Agreements or the
Nuclear Accord, he can be a cool and consummate political operator. But he does
have his blind spots. Whether it is because he has a lifelong commitment to civil
service traditions that one department must not intrude on the turf of another
department, or it is out of a conviction that party politics is not his forte, or for
whatever unmentioned reason, Manmohan has kept himself severely and
completely away from the Congress Party. Perhaps, Manmohan felt that his own
political guru, Narasimha Rao, paid a price for intruding into areas where both fools
and angels should fear to tread. The net result was that Man mohan had less support
from his own party leaders and, in Barus opinion, that proved very costly for our
accidental Prime Minister.
There are some self-serving bits in this memoir. Manmohans performance
in UPA-1 is portrayed as outstanding. After all, Baru was with him most of that
time, was he not? And some of the achievements of that time seem to have a greater
Baru imprint than what other observers might concede. And virtually all the
problems of Manmohan seem to have coincided with UPA-2 when Baru was no
longer around! Neverthless, Barus professionalism and better nature does assert
itself almost everywhere in the book. He gives himself far less credit than others
who have written similar books tend to do. He is lucid enough to concede that in
economic matters, effects are preceded by causes with some lags. The good times of
UPA-1 were not merely because the global economy was strong, but because
Manmohan inherited a good legacy from Vajapayee. The roots of many of the
problems in UPA-2 were the results of sins of profligacy committed during UPA-1
when economic growth was not only taken for granted, but treated with some
contempt by the elitist do-gooders of the National Advisory Council, which could
have been a source of anodyne amusement, if so many of its actions had not ended
up being dangerous, even disastrous for the country.
112.
Which of the following, according to the author, is true about
Sanjaya Barus book?
a) It is a book intended to attack the former PM Manmohan Singh
b) It is a fawning hagiography
c) It is straightforward and excessively gossipy
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 28

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) It is a book which throws light on contingencies and counterfactuals of


Indian politics
113.
Which of the following statements is contrary to the facts mentined
in the given passage?
a) Narasimha Rao was the political guru of Manmohan Singh
b) As per civil service traditions, one department must not intrude on the
turf of another department
c) Manmohan Singh kept himself severely and completely away from the
Congress Party.
d) None of these
114.
Which of the following facts supports the view that Manmohan was
neither a nave nor a weak Prime Minister?
a) During his regime the nuclear deal was signed, which is one of most
important achievements
b) He had a very good relationship with wily and experienced politicians
c) Manmohan Singh preferred to keep mum than to indulge into
controversy
d) He was aware of the fact that party politics is not his forte and hence he
kept himself away from active politics.
115.
Why, according to Baru, was Manmohans performance in UPA-1
outstanding?
a) Because Baru was with him most of the time
b) Because the Congress Party had done a lot of good work to alleviate
poverty
c) Because the global economy was strong and Manmohan Singh had
inherited a good legacy from Vajpayee.
d) Because UPA-2 was full of scams
116.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Intrude
a) Associate
b) Interfere
c) Leave
d) Combine
117.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Profligacy
a) Fraglity
b) Restraint
c) Lacking
d) Recklessness
118.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Anodyne
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 29

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) Soother
d) Agitating

b) Upsetting

c) Excitative

119.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Inexorable
a) Harsh
b) Dogged
c) Flexible
d) Relentless
120.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Concede
a) Allow
b) Accord
c) Acknowledge
d) Reject
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Since 1947, Indians have not spoken out so strongly and clearly for a
completely new brand of people running government. Mercifully, there are no
ministers educated abroad. Thankfully, none of them has been brainwashed at
Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, the World bank or the IMF, subtly forcing expensive
Western solutions on typically Indian problems at the cost of the poor. Look what
the high powered, foreign returned degree wallahs have reduced this country to.
They wasted opportunities to show the inner strength of what is essentially Indian
because they never really knew their own people living in Bharat. In the eyes of the
World, we have lost our self-respect, dignity and identity.
All the ministers now have gone through average government schools.
Some have never been to college. Many have experienced poverty, exploitation,
injustice and discrimination at some point of time in their lives. It is truly the first
barefoot government ever to be voted into power in independent India. Where else
in the World would you have a one time tea seller on a railway station becoming
Prime Minister, shaping the destiny of more than one billion people?
The first example the Modi government must set is by drastically reducing
the perks and privileges of MPs. Free power, food, housing, travel to those whose
personal assets run into crores and a Rs.2 Crore annual fund for development for
over 500 MPs is costing the exchequer nearly Rs.2000 Crore. Only the Prime
Minister will be able to make it happen and, at the same time, stifle any dissent
from BJP MPs. The time is now.
No other government in the World has a Class 12 pass woman ministers
speaking as an equal to almost 120 heavily qualified, on paper, vice chancellors (90
% male). Today, as we judge them, the VCs are all to intellectually and morally
fatigued. There is something dreadfully wrong with an education system that
produces graduates from even private, expensive, snobbish schools and colleges
who are still prejudiced about caste, class, religion, sex and colour. These
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 30

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

graduates, who roam the streets of small towns and cities by the thousands, call
themselves educated, practise the worst forms of cruelty, slavery and crimes
against humanity, against society and in their own families. Indeed, some of them
rose to the level of their incompetence by becoming ministers in previous
governments, reinforcing the status quo, wasting vast public resources by
implementing silly Western ideas, listening to foreign returned experts and
making a hopeless mess of this country. The tragedy is that they cannot see the
colossal damage they have done to the very fabric of this country.
121.
What is/are true about the ministers of the new government formed
at the Centre?
a) Some of them are ghighly qualified and foreign degree holders.
b) Only a few of them are t he products of average government schools.
c) There are so me ministers who have never been to college.
d) Our Prime Minister is a postgraduate in Political Science.
122.
Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of the
ministers of the last government at the Centre?
a) Some of the ministers of the last government at the Centre were educated
abroad.
b) The ministers of the last government were brainwashed at foreign
universities to suggest Western solutions for Indian problems.
c) The Western degree holder ministers coming from the elite class never
knew their own people living in Bharat.
d) Though the ministers of the last government were Western educated yet
they had great concern about the gripping problems of India
123.
Which of the following statements is based on the facts mentioned
in the passage?
a) The present government aims at reducing the perks and privileges of
MLAs.
b) There is something wrong with those educational institutions that
produjce graduates who remain prejudiced about caste, class and gender
c) The elitist education policy has still managed to make students humble
and sensitive towards humanity.
d) None of the present ministers has gone through poverty, injustice,
exploitation and discrimination
124.
What is the perception about India in the eyes of the World?
a) That India is a developing nation
b) That we dont have self respect, dignity and identity
c) That India is still a c ountry of snake charmers
d) That India is an educationally backward nation
125.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 31

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Destiny
a) Objective
d) Concept

b) Prospect

c) Future

126.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Perks
a) Benefits
b) Candy
c) Loss
d) Constraints
127.
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning
to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Fatigued
a) Fresh
b) Lively
c) Exhausted
d) Vivacious
128.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Dissent
a) Strife
b) Marvellous
c) Objections
d) Approval
129.
Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Snobbish
a) Haughty
b) Pompous
c) Arrogant
d) Humble
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
My God, it speaks uttered the Emperor of Brazil and the receivr of the
Telephone slipped from his hand and banged around. At the other end Alexander
Graham Bell was still on line.
This incident goes back to 1876 when at an exhibition in Philadelphia,
Alexander Graham Bell was giving a demonstration of his new invention. This
strange instrument known as Telephone was to revolutionize life in the years to
come.
Bell was born at Edinborough, Scotland. He was a teacher and, was
dedicated to the noble cause of teaching the deaf and the dumb. Due to a severe
illness, Bell was sent to Canada in 1870, where too he got engaged in helping the
dumb deaf to hear and speak. Thereafter, he shifted to the USA but continuted with
his work by opening a school f or deaf to hear and dumb.
Bell was fond of scientific inventions and was ever engaged in making
some machines in his spare time. While at Boston, he tried to communicate through
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 32

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

metal wire. His companion in this work was Watson. One day while experimenting
with this instrument, Bell spoke to Watson standing at a distance. Watson was taken
by a pleasant surprise as he had heard Bell clearly through his instrument. The
instrument was a success and Bell patented it.
Graham Bell had some sterling qualities of head and heart. Apart from
being as artist, he was a kind human being, ready to help the needy. He established
an institution for the deaf and dumb children. He died in 1922 in Canada. The entire
northern America paid him a tribute by hanging up their telephones for a while
during his funeral.
130.
The teaching activity undertaken by Bell was considered noble
particularly because
a) He was teaching the physically under privileged persons
b) There was nobody else in the field of education
c) He was not accepting any salary of that job
d) He was a very famous scientist of his times
131.
The words uttered by the Emperor of Brazil suggest that it was
extremely
a) Angry
b) Insulted
c) Surprised
d) Agitated
132.
What according to the passage was the contribution of invention of
telephone?
a) Interaction between two persons at some distance was possible
b) Rich people were able to communicate with others
c) Graham Bell could converse with Watson regarding invention through
telephone
d) It revolutionized human life
133.
Which of the following made Bell to invent telephone?
a) His activity of teaching
b) His service to the deaf and dumb
c) He kept interest in scientific inventions
d) Encouragement received from Watson
134.
Graham Bell made the telephone call of his invention to the
Emperor from the city of
a) Edinborough
b) Philadelphia
c) Brazil
d) Boston
135.
Bell had gone to Canada in 1870 for
a) Treating a patient who was seiously ill
b) Helping the deaf and dumb children to hear and speak
c) Undergoing medical treatment for himself
d) Devoting his full time to his invention
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 33

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

136.
Choose the word or group of words which is most nearly the same
in meaning as the word printed in bold?
Revolutionize
a) Affect adversely
b) Develop gradually
c) Illuminate completely
d) Change drastically
137.
Choose the word or group of words which is most nearly the same
in meaning as the word printed in bold?
Dedicated
a) Appointed
b) Deployed
c) Devoted
d) Religious
138.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold.
Continued
a) Irregular
b) Destroyed
c) Reckoned
d) Suspended
139.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold.
Pleasant
a) Admirable
b) Disgusting
c) Nice
d) Indecent
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering
some of the questions.
The yearly festival was close at hand. The store room was packed with silk
fabrics, gold ornaments, clay bowls full of sweet curd and platefuls of sweetmeats.
The orders had been placed with shops well in advance. The mother was sending
out gifts to everyone.
The eldest son, a government servant, lived with his wife and children in far
off lands. The second son had left home at an early age. As a merchant he travelled
all over the World. The other sons had split up over petty squabbles and they now
lived in homes of their own. The relatives were spread all across the World. They
rarely visited. The youngest son, left in the company of a servant, was soon bored
left her and stood at the door all day long, waiting and watching. His mother,
thrilled and excited, loaded the presents on trays and plates, covered them with
colourful kerchiefs, and sent them off with maids and servants. The neighbours
looked on.
The day came to an end. All the presents had been sent off.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 34

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

The child came back into the house and dejectedly said to his mother,
Maa, you gave present to everyone, but you d idnt give me anything!
His mother laughed, I have given all the gifts away to everyone, now see
whats left for you. She kissed him on the forehead.
The child said in a tearful voice. Dont get a gift?
Youll get it when you go far away. But when I am close to you, dont I
get something from your own hands?
His mother reached out her arms and drew him to her This is all I have in
my own hands. It is the most precious of all.
140.
Why did the womans second son travel?
a) He was restless by nature
b) He did not want to stay at home
c) He was rich and could afford to travel
d) His job was such that he had to travel
141.
Why did the womans eldest son not attend the festival?
a) He was not on good terms with his youngest brother who lived at home
b) He had quarrelled with his mother
c) His wife did not allow him to return home
d) None of these
142.
Which of the following can be said about the woman?
a) She was a widow who had brought up her children single handedly
b) She was not a good mother since her children had left home at an early
age
c) She enjoyed sending her family gifts at festival time
d) She gave expensive presents to show that she was wealthy
143.
What did the boy receive from his mother?
a) She taught him the value of patience
b) She encouraged him to grow up and live independently like his brother
c) She showed him the importance of giving expensive gifts
d) She gave him a hug to express her love
144.
Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
a) The woman usually ignored her youngest son
b) The womans eldest son lived abroad
c) The members of the womans family did not care about her
d) The woman made all the preparations herself since she did not want to
burden the servants
145.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Left
a) Gone
b) Quit
c) Remaining
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 35

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Disappeared

146.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Packed
a) Filled
b) Squeezed
c) Crowd
d) Collected
147.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
Dejectedly as used in the passage.
a) Calmly
b) Happily
c) Willingly
d) Fortunately
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
During Emperor Akbars reign, there was a poor man in Agra, who was
throught to bring bad luck. People believed that if any one looked at his face in the
morning, they would have a bad day.
Get lost, you ugly fellow! he would be cursed by one and all. Hide your
face before you kill someone with your evil eye!
The emperor soon heard of this mans reputation and wanted to see him.
The poor fellow, who had not harmed a single person in his life, was brought to
Akbar.
Akbar took a look at him and asked him to be brought back in the evening.
That particular day was an especially full and tiring day for the emperor and
his courtiers.
So, many matters had to be attended to that Akbar even forgot to eat. By the
end of the day, the emperor was exhausted. To make matters worse, Akbar was
informed that his favourite child, little Prince Salim, had fallen ill.
Then the emperor suddenly remembered that he had seen the face of the
unlucky man that morning.
That was it. It was that mans entire fault, Akbar decided.
Akbar called his courtiers and told them that he was going to have
unlucky man executed. All of them agreed immediately.
That is all except Birbal. Instead, Birbal let out a short laugh.
What is the matter, Birbal? asked the emperor You seem to find
something funny!
Nothing, your majesty, replied Birbal
You say this man brings bad luck because you had to go without food ever
since you saw him this morn ing. Look at his luck. Yours was the first face he saw
today, and has to die because to it.
Akbar immediately realized his folly and rewarded Birbal for his wisdom.
148.

Why had the king not eaten his food?

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 36

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) He was very busy that day


b) He had seen the face of the unlucky fellow
c) He was not feeling well
d) None of these

149.
Who was not well on that particular day?
a) King Akbar
b) The King's courtiers
c) Birbal
d) Prince Salim
150.
Which of the following describes Birbal?
a) He was a famous merchant
b) He had lost his senses
c) He was very poor
d) He possessed good logical thinking
151.
Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
a) The poor man wanted to see the king
b) The poor man was well educated
c) The courtiers were sympathetic with the poor man
d) King Akbar realized his mistake
152.
What was Birbals initial reaction when he heard that the poorman
would be executed?
a) He was angry because Akbar had not taken his advice
b) He laughed slightly
c) He was silent and wanted to give a change to the poor man
d) None of these
153.
Choose the word that is most nearly the same meaning as the
word/phrase printed in bold as used in the passage.
Reputation
a) Character
b) Respect
c) Fame
d) Report
154.
Choose the word that is most nearly the same meaning as the
word/phrase printed in bold as used in the passage.
Folly
a) Argument
b) Mistake
c) Words
d) Conflict
155.
Choose the word which is the most opposite in meaning of the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Hide
a) Seek
b) Show
c) Go away
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 37

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Indicate

156.
Choose the word which is the most opposite in meaning of the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Exhausted
a) Consumed
b) Drained
c) Restless
d) Energetic
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while, answering
some of the questions.
In the town, where Abhiram painted pictures of gods and goddesses,
everyone knew him only as a stranger, who had always painted pictures for a living.
No one knew him or his past. He would think, I was once wealthy but its all gone
now ______ and in a way it is for the better. I meditate on various forms of God all
day long now, my bread and butter comes from that. I also place his image in all the
houses. None can take away the respect and goodwill this earns me. One day the
royal Minister passed away. The King employed a new Minister from a foreign
land. The whole town was abuzz with the news but that day Abhirams fingers
stilled to a halt. Abhirams father and adopted an orphan boy, whom he raised and
trusted more than his own son, Abhiram. But the boy had turned traitor and had
stolen the old mans fortune from him. The very same man and now come to the
new kingdom as the new Minister. The room where Abhiram painted was also his
puja room. He went in, folded his hands and queried, Is this why I have spent so
many years meditating on. You through every colour, every line? Is this how you
reward me with such an insult?
The chariot pageant was coming up. At the fairgrounds many people from
different lands thronged to buy Abhirams pictures. In that throng, there was a little
boy watched over by servants. He picked out one picture. Abhiram turned to the
childs attendant and asked, who is this boy? He replied, The only son of our
royal Minister. Abhiram covered his paintings with a cloth and said, I will not sell
my pictures. Which only made the child want the picture even more? He came
home and sulked in the corner and refused to eat. The Minister sent a bagful of
coins for Abhiram, but the bag came back to the Minister untouched. The Minister
said to himself, what audacity! The more he was pestered, the more dogged was
Abhirams refusal and he thought, This is my victory.
Every morning the first thing Abhiram did was to paint a picture of his own
beloved deity. This was the only form of worship known to him. One day, he
realized the painting wasnt to his satisfaction. Something looked different. It
wasnt looking right. He felt tormented. As the days passed, the subtle difference
became more apparent until one day Abhiram looked up, started by the realization
________ he could see it clearly now - the face oif his God was beginning to look
more and more like the Minister. He hurled his brush to the ground and said, So
the Ministger wins! That same day the painting to the Minister and said, Here is
the picture, give it to your son. The Minister asked, How much? Abhiram said,
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 38

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

You robbed me of my devotion to God I shall gain it back by gifting you this
picture. The Minister had no idea what he was talking about.
157.
Why did Abhiram paint a picture of one particular deity every
morning?
a) His paintings of this particular deity were very popular and he sold many
of them
b) He kept trying to paint the picture well but he never succeeded
c) In memory of his father, who had great devotion for the deity
d) It was his way of praying
158.
Why did the Minister send a bagful of gold to Abhirams house?
a) As penance for taking Abhirams rightful share of their fathers property
b) He admired artists and wanted to pay his respects to Abhiram
c) As a bribe to ensure that Abhiram would keep t heir past a secret
d) He wanted to purchase a painting that his son was determined to have
159.
Why was Abhiram disappointed with his most recent painting?
a) Despite his best efforts, he could not get the painting to resemble the
Minister
b) Attention to details which made his paintings so popular was missing
c) Instead of resembling, a replica of a deity, the painting looked like a
portrait of the Minister
d) Since, he was unable to paint the lighting effects properly, the deity did
not look lifelike in the portrait
160.
What was Abhirams first reaction when, he heard about the
appointment of the new Royal Minister?
a) He decided not to sell his paintings at the chariot pageant
b) He stopped praying because he believed that God had abandoned him
c) He gave up his carrer as an artist
d) None of these
161.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Audacity
a) Courage
b) Fear
c) Insult
d) Rudeness
162.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Idea
a) Image
b) Understanding
c) Design
d) Plan

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 39

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

163.
Choose the word, which is most opposite in meaning of the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Gain
a) Lose
b) Decrease
c) Lack
d) Fail
164.
Choose the word, which is most opposite in meaning of the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Dogged
a) Polite
b) Weak
c) Unstable
d) Soft
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in the bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
A goat was struggling violently and injured many people, as it was being
led away by a dozen men through the street. It was being taken away for a
sacrificial offering. But it became calm the moment it saw a saint. The saint bent
down and said somethhing in its ear and patted it on its back. He then withdrew
covering his face and muttering How sad! My poor friend!.
The animal now tame allowed itself to be led away. The onlookers flocked
around the saint and asked him what he had whispered to the goat?
The Saint explained that the goiat was a reincarnation of his good friend, a
wealthy man who instituted the sacrifice as a ritual in the village and that he had
told the goat that the game was started by it in its previous birth so why was it
complaining now when it was its time toi be in the same boat. He continued As
one sows, so shall he reap.
The story spread and even tually brought an end to the ritual of animal
slaughter in the name of sacrificial offering in the village.
165.
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
a) Reincarnation is a phenomenon which occurs
b) One receives as one propagates
c) Animal slaughter is now banned by law
d) Saints do have magical powers
166.
Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
a) The goat was not sacrificed
b) The ritual of sacrifice gradually stopped in the village
c) The Saint did not believe in reincarnation
d) The onlookers were ashamed of themselves and avoided the Saint
167.
Why did the goat recognize the Saint?
a) It was the Saint who had asked people to sacrifice it
b) The Saint was wearing a robe unlike the other onlookers
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 40

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

c) The Saint had a peculiar look


d) The Saint had been a good friend of the goat in its previous birth
168.
Why did the Saint mutter How sad! My poor friend?
a) He was against the lifestyle of his friend
b) The goat had been injured while it was being led away
c) The goat was dying from its wounds
d) He was sad because his friend was going to be killed
169.
Why did the animal become docile after the Saint talked to it?
a) It was keen to be sacrificed
b) It had already injured many people and was tired
c) The priest promised that it wouldnt be sacrificed
d) It had accepted that it deserved its fate
170.
Choose the word that is most nearly the same in meaning to the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Patted
a) Stroked
b) Flattened
c) Hit
d) Hurt
171.
Choose the word that is most nearly the same in meaning to the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Flocked
a) Herd
b) Together
c) Gathered
d) Accompanied
172.
Choose the word which is most opposite in the meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Tame
a) Spirited
b) Disciplined
c) Cruel
d) Insane
173.
Choose the word which is most opposite in the meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
End
a) Life
b) Begin
c) Middle
d) Start
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them, while
answering some of the questions.
Though the US prides itself on being a leader in the World community, a
recent report shows that it lags far behind other industrialised countries in meeting
the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The US has a higher infant
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 41

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

mortality rate, a higher proportion of low birth weight babies, a smaller proportion
of babies immunised against childhood diseases and a much higher rate of
adolescent pregnancies. These findings, described as a quiet crisis requiring
immediate and far reching action, appeared in a report prepared by a task force of
educators, doctors, politicians and business people. According to the report, a fourth
of the nations 12 million infants and toddlers live in poverty. As many as half
confront risk factors that could harm their ability to develop intellectually,
physically and socially. Child immunisations are too low, more children are born
into poverty, more are in substandard care, while their parents work and more are
being raised by single parents. When taken together, these and other risk factors can
lead to educational and health problems that are much harder and more costly to
reverse.
The crisis begins in the womb with unplanned parenthood. Women with
unplanned pregnancies are less likely to seek pre natal care. In the US 80% of
teenage pregnancies and 56% of all pregnancies are unplanned. The problmes
continue after birth, where unplanned pregnancies and unstable partnerships often
go hand in hand. Since 1950, the number of single parent families has nearly tripled.
More than 25% of all births today are to unmarried mothers. As the number of
single parent families grows and more women enter the work force, infants and
toddlers are increasingly in the care of people other than their parents.
Most disturbingly, recent statistics show that American parents are
increasingly neglecting or abusing their children. In only four years from 19871991, the number of children in foster care increased by over 50%. Babies under the
age of one are the fastest growing category of children entering foster care. This
crisis affects children under the age of three most severely, the report says. Yet, it is
this period from infancy through preschool years that sets the stage for a childs
future.
174.
The main focus of the passage is on the plight of
a) Orphaned children
b) Teenage mothers
c) Low birth weight babies
d) None of these
175.
Which of the following does not constitute quiet crisis in the US
as per the task force report?
a) Lower proportion of new born babies with normal weight
b) Higher incidence of adolescent girls becoming mothers
c) Lower rate of babies surviving childhood diseases
d) Increasing cases of teenage couples getting divorced
176.
Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the
passage?
a) The number of single parent families today is approximately three times
that four decades ago
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 42

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) The number of children in the US entering foster care has decreased after
1991
c) In the US, the number of infants living in poverty is about 3 million
d) Only 20% of all the pregnancies in the US are planned
177.
The number of children born to married mothers in the US is
approximately, how many times the number of children born to unwed
mothers?
a) 1.5 times
b) 2 times
c) 3 times
d) 3.5 times
178.
The task force report seems to be based on the data pertaining to the
period
a) 1987-91
b) 1950 onwards till data
c) 1987 onwards till data
d) 1950-91
179.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the
given word given in bold as used in the passage.
Confront
a) Face
b) Tolerate
c) Succumb
d) Eliminate
180.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the
given word given in bold as used in the passage.
Vulnerable
a) Insecure
b) Indispensable
c) Risky
d) Promising
181.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the given
word in bold as used in the passage.
Severely
a) Drastically
b) Intensely
c) Minutely
d) Slightly
182.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the given
word in bold as used in the passage.
Substandard
a) Impoverished
b) Compassionate
c) Excellent
d) Valuable

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 43

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in the bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
One day, the king came to the court and began attending to the routine
mattres people had brought to him. He happened to be in a bad mood that day. Just
then, a messenger arrived out of breath, with a message that the queen wanted to see
the king in her palace. The king rose immediately and all the courtiers respectfully
got to their feet. The jester however remained seated unaware that the king was
departing. He belatedly got to his feet but while doing so, he was noticed by the
king, who perceived this behavioiur as an insult. He ordered the jester to leave his
kingdom with immediate effect and not set foot on its soil under penalty of death.
The courtiers were upset and protested. The jester was amusing and well
liked. But the jester obeyed the kings commands and left the palace promptly.
Several months passed after the ing had ordred the jester to leave his court. The
kings anger had subsided. He decided to invite the jester to return to his court.
Messengers were sent to neighbouring kingdoms to search for the jester and bring
him before the king. However the very next day, when the king was standing in one
of the palace balconies, he saw a horse carriage pass outside the palace. He glanced
at the carriage out of curiostly and spied the jester sitting inside. The carriage was
stopped. The king asked the jester angrily, Why have you come back to the
kingdom without my permission? Your Majesty the jester replied politely, I left
for China the day you drove me out of your court. I returned only after I had
covered the floor of my carriage with the soil of the neighbouring country. I have
thus not set my foot on your soil, The king found the jesters answer pleasing. He
smiled and asked him to come to court from the next morning.
183.
Why did the king leave the court suddenly one day?
a) He was bored as the word was routine
b) He realised that he had forgotten to meet the queen that day
c) He was upset that day
d) None of these
184.
Why did the king himself ask the jester to return to his court?
a) He missed the jesters wit and humour
b) The jester did not need the request, the king had sent through his
messengers
c) The courtiers throught the king was foolish for throwing out the jester
d) The king appreciated the jesters cleverness in interpreting his orders
185.
Why did the jester remain seated, while the king was leaving?
a) To show he was unhappy with kings decision toi leave early
b) To get the kings attention
c) To show the king that leaving early was insulting to those, who had come
to the court
d) He did not realise that the king was leaving
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 44

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

186.
Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
a) The king was stubborn and never listened to his courtiers advice
b) The jester was quick witted
c) The kings messengers did not try very hard to find the jester
d) The jester did not return to the court till the k ing had asked forgiveness
187.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Spied
a) Watched
b) Followed
c) Stared
d) Noticed
188.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Subsided
a) Lessened
b) Failed
c) Collapse
d) Calm
189.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Promptly
a) Later
b) Behind
c) Relaxed
d) Lately
190.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Pleasing
a) Sorrow
b) Disliking
c) Worsening
d) Hating
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in the bold to help you to locate them, while
answering some of the questions.
It is time, we looked at the latent causes. Where does the strength of India
lie? Not in numbers, not necessarily in our moral stands on international issues. In
modern times, the strength of a nation lies in its achievements in science and
technology. This is not to say that other fields do not count.
In the five decades after independence, we have yet to demonstrate our
originality in applied science and technology. Though Japan also started like us, yet
by cultivating the technology of the West, the Japanese adapted, improved and
displayed originality in several areas of science and technology. The generation
which is at the helm of affairs in science and in our country after independence
mostly consisted of self seekers. By and large with a few exceptions. The science
and technology managers in India concentrated in gaining power and influence.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 45

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

They loved publicity. Most of them stopped doing science while they managed
science. Things would have been better had they been humble enough to
acknowledge the difference between doing and managing science. Instead they
claimed they were the foremost in science and technology, simply because they
were at the helm of affairs. As a result, they ceased to inspire the younger lot. India
continues to be a borrowers of science and technology, even though its potential for
originality is substantial.
Our achievements in nuclear science and technology may be dazzling to
our people. But, in worth and originality, they are ordinary and routine. While our
own people remain ignorant the people of other countries know all about the
pretensions to knowledge of our nuclear science and technology managers. Our
subtle way of sabotaging our nuclear goals is to help hollow persons reach and
remain at the helm of affairs. International bodies come in as handy tools in that
subtle process. The veil of secrecy effectively protects the mismanagement in our
nuclear establishments. The talk of national security comes as an easy weapon to
prevent any probe into mismanagement. On nuclear matters the media in our
country, by and large avoid the mismatch between promise and hence performance
in the nuclear field does not get exposed as much as the mismanagement in other
fields.
191.
What does the author mean by doing science?
a) Demonstrating exaggerated performance without achieving the desired
level
b) Managing effectively the administrative functions involved in the power
game
c) Concentrating on such researches which have very low practical utility
d) Displaying genuine acumen and performance in scientific studies
192.
Doing science and managing science are implied by the author
is analogous to
a) Set target and achieving it
b) Fact and fantasy
c) Originality and adaptability
d) Scientific inventions and disc overy of principles
193.
The author of the passage has
a) Criticised the power hung Indian technocrats
b) Appreciated the Japanese scientists unduly and exorbitantly
c) Hailed Indias technological advancement in the past five decades
d) Underestimated the Japanese and Chinese scientists and t echnologists
194.
Which of the following is the commonality between the Indian and
the Japanese scientists?
a) Both have displayed originally in applied sciences
b) Both have displayed and advancement of substandard quality
c) Both have displayed greed f or influence and power
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 46

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Both have displayed remarkable just for publicity

195.
Which of the following is the correct assessment of Indias post
independence nuclear and scientific advancements?
a) Originality and adaptability is duly displayed in the field of applied
science
b) Our achievement in nuclear science and technology are dazzling
c) Our achievements are of a very ordinary quality and routine nature
d) Our scientists have done full justice to the developmental needs of
nuclear science
196.
Find out the word from the given options, which is most nearly the
same in meaning as the word given in bold as used in the passage.
Latent
a) Cautions
b) Hidden
c) Overt
d) Brilliant
197.
Find out the word from the given options, which is most nearly the
same in meaning as the word given in bold as used in the passage.
Handy
a) Silent
b) Hand-rolled
c) Suitable
d) Solemn
198.
Find the word which is most nearly opposite in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Dazzling
a) Tremendous
b) Domineering
c) Deafening
d) Brilliant
199.
Find the word which is most nearly opposite in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Humble
a) Doctile
b) Llethargic
c) Stupid
d) Cunning
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in the bold to help you locate them while
answering some of the questions.
During the reign of King, Veer, there lived a wise magistrate. Haripants
verdicts were always just and people from all over the vast kingdom came to him in
order to settle their disputes. In the city where Haripant lived, there was a greedy
ghee merchant named Niranjan. He always kept twenty barrels of ghee. Of these,
fifteen would contain good quality ghee and the remaining would be adulterated, he
would mix into and sell it. This went on for a time, till finally the people fed up
being cheated and complained to Haripant.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 47

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Haripant had the ghee examined and found it to be adulterated. He gave


Niranjan a choice of punishment drink the five barrels of adulterated ghee from his
shop or receive a hundred lashings or pay a thousand gold coins in the treasury.
Niranjan thought for a while. Losing a thousand gold coins was too much and a
hundred lashings are painful. So, he decided to drink the barrels of ghee.
Though Niranjan adulterated goods in his shop, they made sure his own
food was of the best quality. So, after drinking one barrel of ghee, he began to feel
sick. By the second barrel, he was vomiting. At this point he decided to opt for the
lashings instead. But he was pampered and his body was unused to any harsh
treatment. After ten lashes, he started trembling and by twenty he was giddy. Stop!
He screamed I will pay the thousand gold coins! and he handed them.
So, he ended up suffering all three punishments something he did not
forget in a hurry and the people of the city got to use only the best quality ghee in
their food from then on!.
200.
Why did the people decide to go to Haripant with their complaint?
a) He was close to the King and would get justice for them
b) Thuey knew Niranjan was afraid of Haripant, who punished people
severely
c) They were confident that he would listen to their complaint and give a
fair judgement
d) He was the only magistrate in the entire kingdom
201.
Why did Haripant allow Niranjan to choose his own punishment?
a) He felt sorry for Niranjan
b) Niranjans offence was minor
c) He did not want Niranjan to appeal of the king for leniency
d) None of these
202.
Why did Niranjan decide to drink adulterated ghee for his
punishment?
a) Since the barrels were from his shop he thought he could substitute the
adulterated ghee with good ghee
b) He wanted to prove that the quality of ghee he sold was good
c) He was greedy and had a big appetite so he thought he would easily drink
the ghee
d) He considered it the easiest of the punishments as he did not realise what
effect the ghee would have on him
203.
Why did Niranjan suffer three punishments?
a) He had cheated so many people that his punishment had to be severe
b) Haripant had ordered this so that Niranjan would never repat his offence
c) Haripant wanted to make an example of him so that other merchants
would not cheat their customers
d) Niranjan could not decide which punishment to under go. So, Haripant
awarded him all three punishments.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 48

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

204.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning as the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Cheated
a) Unfaithful
b) Blamed
c) Exploited
d) Dodged
205.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning as the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Suffering
a) Hardship
b) Distressing
c) Hurting
d) Experiencing
206.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Best
a) Damaged
b) Inferior
c) Spoiled
d) Defective
207.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Unused
a) Accustomed
b) Routine
c) Often
d) Normal
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questioins given below it.
Certain words/phrases are given in the bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
Many years ago, I was the chief guest at a function. This was held in a
hostel for poor students that had been built by a philanthropist. Food and shelter
were free, but students had to bear other expenses like tuition and clothing.
In my younger days, I have come across many families, who would look
after students who were economically backward but otherwise bright. They used to
help them with their fees or clothing and often with their food as well. In those
days, most colleges were located in larger towns. Many poor students, who came to
study in these towns used to stay with these families and would be treated as a part
of the family. The woman of the house considered this a good deed and helped the
poor students whole heartedly. Today, the situation is different. Even smaller towns
have schools and colleges, so this custom has disappeared.
While I was sitting on the dais, I remembered the past and congratulated the
person, who had built the hostel. It was a good deed and of great help to many
students. The hostel secretary told me about some of the students in the hostel, who
had secured ranks but had a problem paying their tuition fees.
He said, Madam, this year we have three students from different
disciplines who have secured ranks. All of these are from extremely poor families.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 49

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

They have one more year to complete their degrees. What are they studying?
One is in medicine, the second in engineering and the third in commerce. Can I
meet them after the function?
The function went on as usual. Often, at such functions too much praise is
lavished on the chief guest. Sometimes, they even make exaggerated and false
claims about the chief guest. I feel this unnecessary praising is the highest form of
corruption where people are easily fooled, and it encourages those who are praised
to develop an inflated opinion of themselves. Thats why in the twelfth century, in
Karnataka, the great revolutionary leader Basaveshwara warned in his teaching that
praise is like a golden gallows.
After the function, I met the three poor bright boys whom the secretary had
told me about. They were a little puzzled, shy and nervous. All of them had the
same story father in a small job unable to make ends meet, a large family back in
the village, no land or any other asset. Only sheer determination to excel in studies
had brought them here against all odds.
208.
How did poor students manage their expenses in towns, if a college
education was not available to them in their villages?
a) They used to get regular help from the philantrhropist
b) Their fees and clothing expenses were borne by the colleges
c) Many families used to provide them facilities on payment
d) None of these
209.
Why has the practice of students from villages staying with families
in towns stopped now a days?
a) Families have found education has become very expensive
b) Higher education is available to students even in smaller towns
c) There is no need for students to go in for higher education these days
d) The situation is altogether different as t he educational structure has
changed
210.
What does the author dislike about functions?
a) The false or exaggerated praise showered on the chief guest
b) Selection of corrupt persons as chief guests
c) The awkward situation created by the audience
d) The shyness and nervousness of the audience
211.
Which of the following was not a common factor among the three
students?
a) Subjects of study
b) Family background
c) Lack of resources
d) Intelligence
212.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 50

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Bear
a) Tolerate
d) Receive

b) Ensure

c) Pay

213.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Lavished
a) Showered
b) Taken
c) Abundant
d) Warranted
214.
Choose the word which is most nearly opposite in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Bright
a) Light
b) Dark
c) Unintelligent
d) Glowing
215.
Choose the word which is most nearly opposite in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Exaggerated
a) Narranted
b) Expelled
c) Stopped
d) Understand
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering
some of the questions.
In a reversal of the norm elsewhere, in India policymakers and economists
have become optimists while bosses do the worrying. The countrys Central Bank
has predicted that the countrys economy is likely to grow at a double digit rate
during the next 20-30 years. India has the capability with its vast labour and lauded
entrepreneurial spirit. But he private sector which is supposed to do the heavy
lifting that turns India from the worlds tenth largest economy to its third largest by
2030 has become fed up. Business people often carp bout Indias problems but their
irritation this time has a nervous edge. In the first quarter of 2011, GDP grew at an
annual rate of 7.8%; in 2005-07 it managed 9-10%. The economy may be slowing
naturally as the low interest rates and public spending that got India through the
global crisis are belatedly withdrawn. At the same time the surge in inflation caused
by exorbitant food prices has spread more widely, casting doubts over whether India
can grow at 8-10 % in the medium term without overheating.
In India, as in many fast growing nations, the confidence to invest depends
on the conviction that the long term trajectory is intact and it is that which is in
doubt. Big Indian firms too sometimes seem happier to invest abroad than at home,
in deals thatare often hailed as symbols of the countrys growing clout but
sometimes speak to its weaknesses purchases of natural resources that India has in
abundance but struggles to get out of the ground. In fact a further dip in investment
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 51

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

could be self fulfilling: if fewer roads, ports and factories are built, this will hurt
both short term growth figures and reduce the economys long term capacity.
There is a view that because a fair amount of growth is assured the
government need to try very hard. The liberalization reforms that began in 1991
freed markets for products and gave rise to vibrant competition, at the same time
what economists call factor markets, those for basic inputs like land, power, labour
etc. remain unreformed and largely under state control, which creates difficulties.
Clearances today can take three to four years and many employers are keen to
replace workers with machines despite an abundance of labour force. This can be
attributed to labour laws which are inimical to employee creation and an education
system that means finding quality manpower a major problem. In fact the Planning
Commission, concluded that even achieving 9% growth will need marked policy
action in unreformed sectors. Twenty years ago it was said that the yardstick against
which India should be measured was its potential and it is clear that there remains
much to do.
216.
.What is the state of Indias basic input sectors at present?
a) These sectors attract Foreign Direct Investment because of their vast
potential.
b) These sectors are lagging as projects are usually awarded to foreign
companies.
c) These sectors are stagnating and badly in need of reforms.
d) These sectors are well regulated as there are governed by the State
217.
Which of the following can be said about the Indian economy at
present?
a) It can comfortably achieve doubel digit growth rate at present.
b) High food prices have led to overheating of the economy.
c) Citizens are affluent owing to laxity in regulation.
d) Unreformed sectors are a drag on economic growth.
218.
Which of the following is most opposite in meaning to the word
MARKED given in bold as used in the passage?
a) Decreased
b) Ignored
c) Clear
d) Assessed
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words have been printed in bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
The great fear in Asia a short while ago was that the region would suffer
through the wealth destruction already taking place in the U.S. as a result of the
financial crisis. Stock markets tumbled as exports plunged and economic growth
deteriorated. Lofty property prices in China and elsewhere looked set to bust as
credit tightened and buyers evaporated. But with surprising speed, fear in Asia
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 52

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

swung back to greed as the regin shows signs of recovery and property and stock
prices are soaring in many parts of Asia.
Why should this sharp Asian turn around be greeted with skepticism?
Higher asset prices mean households feel wealthier and better able to spend, which
could further fuel the regions nascent rebound. But just as easily, Asia could soon
find itself saddled with overheated markets similar to the U.S. housing market. In
short, the world has not changed, it has just moved placed.
The incipient bubble is being created by government policy. In response to
the global credit crunch of 2008, Policy makers in Asia slashed interest rates and
flooded financial sectors with cash in frantic attempts to keep loans flowing and
economies growing. These steps were logical for central bankers striving to reverse
a deepening economic crisis but there is evidence that there is too much easy money
around. Its winding up in stocks and real estate, pushing prices up too far and too
fast for the undenying economic fundamentals. Much of the concern is focused on
China where government stimulus efforts have been large and effective, Money in
China has been especially easy to find. Aggreegate new bank lending surged 201%
in first half of 2009 from the same period a year earlier, to nearly 51.1 turn on,
Exuberance over a quick recovery which was given a boost by Chinas surprisingly
strong 7.9% GDP growth in the second quarter hjas buoyed investor sentiment not
just for stocks but also for real estate.
Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan argued that
bubbles could only be recognised in hand sight. But investors who have been well
schooled in the dangers of bubbles over the past decade are increasingly wary that
prices have risen too far and that the slightest bit of negative, economic news could
knock markets for a loop. These fears are compounded by the possibility that Asias
central bankers willbegin taking stops to shut off the money. Rumours that Beijing
was on the verge of tightening credit led to Shanghai stocks plunging 5%. Yet many
economists believe that, there is close to a zero possibility that the Chinese
government will do anything this year that constitutes tightening. And without a
major shift in thinking, the easy-money conditions will stay in place. In a global
economy that has produced more dramatic ups and downs than anyone thought
possible over the past two years. Asia may beneading for another disheartening
plunge.
219.
What does the author want to convey through the phrase The
world has not changed it has just moved places?
a) At present countries are more dependent on Asian economies than on the
US economy
b) Economies have become interlinked on account of globalisation
c) Asian governments are implementing the same economic reforms as
developed countries
d) None of these
220.
Which of the following can be said about the Chinese governments
efforts to revive the economy?
a) These were largely unsuccessful as only the housing market improved
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 53

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) The governments only concern was to boost investor confidence in


stocks
c) These efforts were ineffectual as the economy recovered owing to the US
market stabilising
d) These were appropriate and accmplished the goal of economic revival
221.
What do the statistics about loans given by Chinese banks in 2009
indicate?
a) There was hardly any demand for loans in 2008
b) The Chinese government has borrowed funds from the US
c) China will take longer than the US to recover from the economic crisis
d) None of these
222.
What is the authors main objective in writing the passage?
a) Illustrating that Asian economies are financially more sound than those
of developed countries
b) Disputing financial theories about how recessions can be predicted and
avoided
c) Warning Asian countries about the dangers of favouring fast growth and
profits over sound economic-principles
d) Extoiling Chinas incredible growth and urging other countries to
emulate it
223.
Why does the author doubt the current resurgence of Asian
economics?
a) Their economies are too heavily reliant on the American economy which
is yet to recover
b) Central banks have slashed interest rates too abruptly which is likely to
cause stock markets to crash
c) With their prevailing economic conditions they are at risk for a financial
crisis
d) Their GDP has not grown significantly during the last financial year
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words have been printed in bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
Delays of several months in Natioinal Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme wage payments and work sites where labourers have lost all hope of being
paid at all have become the norm in many states. How are workers who exist on the
margins of subsistence supposed to feed their families? Under the scheme, workers
must be paid within 15 days, failing which they are entitled to compensation under
the Payment of Wages Act upto Rs.3000 per aggrieved worker. In reality,
compensation is received in only a few isolated instances. It is often argued by
officials that the main reason for the delay is the inability of banks and post offices
to handle mass payments of NREGS wages. Though there is agrain of truth in this,
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 54

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

as a diagnosis it is misleading. The jam in the banking system has been the result
of the hasty switch to bank payments imposed by the Central Government against
the recommendation of the Central Employment Guarantee Council which
advocated a gradual transition starting with villages relatively close to the nearest
bank. However, delays are not confined solely to the banking system. Operational
hurdles include implementing agencies taking more than fifteen days to issue
payment orders, viewing of work measurement as a cumbersome process resulting
in procrastination by the engineering staff and non maintenance of muster rolls and
job card etc. But behind these delays lies a deeper and deliberate backlash against
the NREGS. With bank payments making it much harder to embezzle NREGS
funds, the programme is seen as a headache by many government functionaries the
workload has remained without the inducements. Slowing down wage payments
is a convenient way of sabotaging the scheme because workers will desert NREGS
worksites.
The common sense solution advocated by the government is to adopt the
business correspondent model. Where in bank agents will go to villages to make
cash payments and duly record them on handheld, electronic devices. This solution
is based on the wrong diagnosis that distance separating villages from banks is the
main issue. In order to accelerate payments, clear timilines for every step of the
payment process should be incorporated into the system as Programme Officers
often have no data on delays and cannot exert due pressure to remedy the situation.
Workers are both clueless and powerless with no provision for them to air their
grievances and seek redress. In drought affected areas the system of piece rate work
can be dispensed with where work measurement is not completed withinn a week
and wages may be paid on the basis of attendance. Buffer funds can be provided to
gram panchayats and post offices to avoid bottlenecks in the flow of funds. Partial
advances could also be considered provided wage payment are meticulously
tracked. But failure to recognise problems and unwillingness to remedy them will
remain major threats to the NREGS.
224.
What impact have late wage payments had on NREGS workers?
a) They cannot obtain employment till their dues are cleared
b) They have benefited from the compensation awarded to them
c) They have been unable to provide for their families
d) None of these
225.
Which of the following factors has not been responsible for
untimely payment of NREGS wages?
a) Communication delays between agencies implementing the scheme
b) Improper record keeping
c) Behind schedule release of payments by banks
d) Drought conditions prevalent in the country
226.
What has the outcome of disbursing NREGS wages through banks
been?
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 55

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) Theft of funds by administratioin officials responsible for the scheme has


reduced
b) Increased work load for local government officials
c) Protests by workers who have to travel long distances to the nearest bank
to claim their wages
d) Time consuming formalities have to be completed by workers
227.
To which of the following has the author attributed the delay in
wage payments?
a) Embezzlement of funds by corrupt bank staff
b) Lack of monitoring by the Central Employment Guarantee Council
c) An attempt to derail the NREGS by vested interests
d) Overworked bank staff deliberately delay payments to protest against
extra work
228.
Which of the following can be considered a deficiency in the
NREGS?
a) Lack of co-ordinatioin among Programme Officers
b) Local officials are unaware of correct operational procedures
c) Workers have no means of obtaining redressal for untimely wage
payments
d) Disbursing wages through banks instead of readily accessible post
offices
In the following questions, you have one brief passage with five questions. Read
the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the
four alternatives.
Although Indians spend less money on allopathic medicines than people in
most Asian Countries, more than 40,000 drugs formulations are available here. All
manufacturers are required by law to provide information about their product either
on the packaging or in a pamphlet inside. But, in many cases, this information is
very meagre and hard to understand. Many doctors, too do not tell their patients
anything about the drugs they prescribe.
What should we be concerned about when we take drugs? There are two
areas: (1) Side effects. Many people taking a drug will notice an undesirable
reaction, usually minor. But even the mildest drugs can do harm if taken
improperly, long enough or in excessive doses. And everyone responds to a drug
differently. (2) Failyre to follow directions. Many of us disobey prescription
instructions on how much to take and when. It is eady to fall into thinking that more
of the drug will speed up the healing. It is more common, however, for people to
stop taking a drug when they begin to feel better. This, too, can be dangerous.
What are the steps to be taken for safety? Take a drug only as
recommended on the label or by the doctor. (2) If you feel ill after taking a drug,
check it with a doctor. (3) Do not mix drugs. (4) Check whether any food or
activities are to avoided.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 56

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

229.
Which one of the following statements is true?
a) Indians use more than 40,000 allopathic drugs
b) Indians hate allopathic medicines
c) Other Asian countries do not have allopathic medicines
d) Indians cannot afford allopathic drugs

230.
How are drug users to be instructed by the manufacturers?
a) Doctors should give a manual of instructions.
b) The Chemist should issue an instruction manual.
c) Information should be printed on the carton or in a pamphlet kept inside
it.
d) Patients should keep in touch with drug manufactuters.
231.
Only one of the following sentences is right identify it.
a) All medicines produce reactions of various degrees in their users
b) Even mild drugs are not always safe
c) Medicines should be discontinued as soon as we feel better
d) More than the prescribed dose brings quicker recovery
232.
Drug manufacturers _______
a) do not give instructions
b) give all necessary instructions
c) give very little and unintelligible information
d) give information only when asked
233.
Which one of the following is true?
a) Throw away the drug that produces side effects and try another
b) Drugs may be taken with all kinds of foods
c) Drugs do not inhibit our normal life style
d) Drugs should be used only according to prescription
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain
words have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of
the questions.
On attending a conference, which focused on the role of the services sector
in Indian economy I was amazed. The conference gave a very interesting
perspective on the role of the service sector in the growth of Indian economy in
relation to growth rates in agriculture and industry. The current situation in India is
that the growth rate of services has overtaken both agriculture and industry and is
now contributing to more than 50% of GDP. The services sector has the highest
growth rate and is the least volatile sector. Growth is particularly marked in public
services, IT and financial services. In some areas, the growth rate of the services
sector is 40-50% due to increased use of mobile technologies. India, therefore has, a
services oriented economy. It hasnt followed traditional growth models as in
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 57

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

China. However, in the process of doing so it has skipped the manufacturing stage
and has jumped straight from the agriculture stage to service stage which is also the
main reason for the expansion of the service sector. In fact, the situation now is such
that the growth in the service sector can and will support in the agriculture and
industrial sectors.
However, the only setback for Indian economy is the lack of growth in the
manufacturing sector, which causes dependence on other coutnries, which is not so
desirable in terms of job creation and increased prosperity.
Population is also a major concern of the Indian economy. As the
population of India grows so also does the number of dependents in the population
in both the lower and higher age groups. In such a scenario of increasing
population, especially in an economy which still recovering from crisis, growth
becomes difficult. For such an economy to grow it has to invest.
Currently, the public sector invests more than it saves. The household sector
saves in surplus, but it is not increasing so it cannot continue to support private and
public sectors. There is a massive need to spend on agriculture and infrastructure
development of the country. Apart from that health and educatiopn should also be
the priority of the government particularly the education of women in order to
reduce the birth rate.
234.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to word given
in bold as used in the passage.
Volatile
a) Erratic
b) Impatient
c) Stable
d) Solid
235.
What does the author mean by the statement, a growth
window for India will open.?
a) In the coming years, the Indian economy will grow as the service sector
of the country would be booming due to the focus of the government in that
sector.
b) In the next two decades, Indian economy will have an opportunity to
grow as the working population of India will be high as compared to
the dependent population.
c) There would be only a small period of time in which the economy of
India has to grow and if it fails to do so it will never be able to recover from
the economic downfall.
d) Only upto the next two decades would Indian people be interested in
finding jobs in the country beyond which they would search for jobs abroad
thus hampering the growth of Indian economy.
236.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Prerequisites
a) Requirements
b) Instincts
c) Prohibitions
d) Acknowldgements
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 58

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

237.
What does the author mean by the statement, to change the bad
sectors to good sectors.?
a) In order to deal with the problem of poverty it is important to distinguish
between good and bad sectors and encourage people to start searching fro
jobs in the good sectors.
b) The government should make efforts to improve the sectors that are not
functioning well in order create greater job opportunities in those sectors
and in turn eradicate poverty
c) Poverty alleviation is possible only if the government understands the
importance of good sectors and provides it with necessary opportunities
d) The bad sectors of the country should be identified and such jobs should
be outsourced to other underprivileged countries in order to eradicate
poverty from those countries.
238.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
given in bold as used in the passage?
Perspective
a) View point
b) Prospect
c) Attitude
d) Agreement
239.
Which of the following is true as per the passage?
a) India has not followed the conventional model of growth and has moved
directly from the agriculture sector to the service sector.
b) The service sector of the country is yet to make a mark on the IT and
financial sectors of the country.
c) With availability of labour and growth in human skills, the service sector
of Indian economy is booming limitlessly as there is no restriction on
movement of labour.
d) India has become self reliant and does not have to depend on other
countries because of the development in the manufacturing sector
240.
According to the author, which of the following can be said about
the growth of service sector in India?
a) India is essentially an agrarian economy and is not yet ready to shift
forcus from agriculture sector to service sector
b) The expansion of service sector in India was seen mainly because of the
growth in the agricultural sector
c) Indian economy cannot run only on the basis of service sector i.e.,
without further development in the agriculture and the industrial sector
d) The growth of service sector in India is facilitated by the improvement in
technology
241.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Massive
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 59

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a) Prominent
d) Little

b) Proactive

c) Short

Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you to locate them while answering
some of the questions.
We should never confuse education with training or the tools that
educators use. Education is no more a computer or an online class than it is a
chalkboard-those are simply tools. Additionally, precious few new and relevant
findings have been added to our into the learning process; much of what many
proclaim to be insightful turns out to be faddish and misguided. What we need for
learning to occur are well prepared and motivated teachers, students who are willing
and able to learn and a social system that values educational attainment. Many
might take exception to these assertions, raising a host of ancillary social, economic,
nutritional and sociological issues. However, decades of data from failed public
experiments aimed at mitigating these problems argue to the contrary.
What are we to do? Create a wave of educational entrepreneurship? Despite
all of the hype and media attention, no one currently knows the best way forward.
We must incentivise educationalists, technologists, and classroom teachers to
experiment and innovate. Such partnershhips should truly explore alternatives as we
seek to define the blended face to face and online class rooms of the future. Some
approaches will fail, but that is part of the change process.
There will be no one size fits all experience success will vary by discipline
and educational objectives. Unless everyone involved in this process is inspired to
take risks, we will not enjoy the full potential these new approaches represent. Also,
we should not forget the extent to which those who most benefit from the current
system will attempt to hijack this change process for their own purposes.
With these issues in mind, consider the following vision of the change
process to the classroom of tomorrow a vision that leverages technology to create
a more personalised learning experience. With the onset of this vision the professor
student relationship will change. What is not likely to survive is the large class in
which every one progress at the same pace.
That paradigm will be replaced by a more customised and colloborative
learning process. The reality of a technology enabled personalised learning
environment is till evolving. What seems clear is that at its heart is a more
collaborative and student mapped and paced process. The function of the professor,
aided by educationalists, will also change.
Student professor collaboration will then determine both what content can
be assigned to practice methods and how the student demonstrates mastery of that
content. In such cases, timing issues will most likely be left entirely in the students
hands, while technology specialists recommend the best hardware and software
solutions.
Critical thinking or application ideas will involve more specialised, face to
face and interactive online approaches geared to the real time needs and progress
the students is making.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 60

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Thus, the professor, with the students help, will vigilantly mix and blend the
learning ingredients to produce a new learning environment. How this process plays
out in reality will be the result of educational entrepreneurship but is will surely
entail both successes and some failures.
The administration and accreditation of education will also have to change.
As more education occurs outside the bricks and mortar framework and is more
centred on the student professor interaction, the role of all non teaching staff will
need to be reassessed. As students and faculty increase their use of technology to
personalise their formal and informal learning, educational technologists must be
on hand to facilitate the effective use of that technology.
Also, the current hierarchical and standardised oucomes formulas for
administration and accreditation of colleges and universities are no longer tenable.
Realistically, they are an impediment to the change needed.
Finally, we must address one of the most serious challenges facing online
education cheating, simply put, cheating is rampant and we are turning a blind eye
to the problem. Cheating threatenes the integrity of the educational process and the
value added of the degree. Solutions must be found and implemented or all changes
will be for naught.
242.
Which of the following is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage?
Entail
a) Limit
b) Occasion
c) Involve
d) Subject
243.
Which of the following can be the most suitable title for the
passage?
a) Educating through technology what the future can be
b) Teachers An obsolete future
c) The hype around technology aided education
d) Limitations of technology
244.
Which of the following is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the
word given in bold as used in the passage?
Mitigating
a) Aggravating
b) Irritating
c) Annoying
d) Frustrating
245.
Which of the following is most nearly the same is meaning in the
word given is bold as used in the passage?
Personalise
a) Customise
b) Cause
c) Sensible
d) Own
246.
Which of the following is most OPPOSITE is meaning word given
in bold as used in the passage?
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 61

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Impediment
a) Freedom
d) Luxury

b) Advantage

c) Extravagancy

247.
What does the author mean when he uses the words will be for
naught?
a) will be in trouble
b) will face complications
c) will not be allowed
d) will come together
248.
According to the author, which of the following is not true about
cheating?
a) It is one of the gravest problems faced in education
b) It undermines the value of the credential obtained through education
c) Not much is being done to curtail it at present
d) It is quite prevalent at present
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/phrases in the passage are printed in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
Indra foresaw that a supreme contest was inevitable between his son Arjuna
and Karna; and he put on the garb of a Brahmana and came to Karna, who was
reputed for his charity, and begged of him his earrings and armour. The Sun god
had already warned Karna in a dream that Indra would try to deceive him in this
manner. Still, Karna could not bring himself to refuse any gift that was asked of
him. Hence he cut off the earrings and armour with which he was born and gave
them to the Brahmana.
Indra, the king of gods, was filled with surprise and joy. After accepting the
gift, he praised Karna as having done what no one else would do, and shamed into
generosity, bade Karna ask for any boon he wanted.
Karna replied: I desire to get your weapon, the Sakti which has the power
to kill enemies. Indra granted the boon, but with a fateful proviso. He said : You
can use this weapon against but one enemy, and it will kill him whosoever he may
be. But this killing done, this weapon will no longer be available to you but will
return to me. With these words Indra disappeared.
Karna went to Parasurama and became his disciple by representing to him
that he was a Brahmana. He learnt of Parasurama the mantra for using the master
weapon known as Brahmastra. One day Parasurama was reclining with the head on
Karnas lap when a stinging worm burrowed into Karnas thigh. Blood began to
flow and the pain was terrible, but Karna bore it without tremor lest he should
disturb the masters sleep. Parasurama awoke and saw the blood which had poured
from the wound. He said: Dear pupil, you are not a Brahmana. A Kshatriya alone
can remain unmoved under all bodily torments. Tell me the truth.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 62

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Karna confessed that he had told a lie in presenting himself as a Brahmana


and that he was in fact the son of a charioteer. Parasurama in his anger pronounced
this curse on him: Since you deceived your guru, the Brahmastra you have learnt
shall fail you at the fated moment. You will be unable to recall the invocatory
mantra when you hour comes.
It was because of this curse that at the crisis of his last fight with Arjuna,
Karna was not able to recall the Brahmastra spell, though he had remembered it till
then. Karna was the faithful friend of Duryodhana and remained loyal with the
Kauravas until the end. After the fall of Bhishma and Drona, Karna became the
leader of the Kaurava army and fought brilliantly for two days. In the end, the wheel
of his chariot stuck in the ground and he was not able to lift it free and drive the
chariot along. While he was in this predicament, Arjuna killed him. Kunti was
sunk in sorrow, all the more poignant because she had, at that time, to conceal it.
249.
How did Parasurama find that Karna was not a Brahmana?
a) Karna himself confessed his identity before Parasurama.
b) Karna bore the sting of a worm without any tremor
c) Parasurama had acquire3d the ability to know everything through his
third eye.
d) He asked Karnas father about his identity.
250.
Why did Karna decide toi become Parasuramas disciple on the
pretext that he was a Brahmana?
a) Because Parsurama was a Brahmana.
b) Parasurama hated Kshatriyas and Sudras.
c) Parasurama was a man who believed in strict notions of castes.
d) Not given in the passage
251.
Why could Karna not refuse the demands for his earrings and
armour made by Indra?
a) Because Karna was the son of Indra
b) Because Karna was known for his charity.
c) Karna, being the son of a charioteer, could not refuse Indra, the King of
Gods.
d) Karna was deceived by Indra in the guise of a Brahmana.
252.
Why did Parasurama curse Karna?
a) Because Karna decided to use the Brahmastra on Parasurama.
b) Because Karna failed to learn the techniques of a Kshatriya.
c) Because Karna concealed his identity and betrayed his master.
d) Because Karna had vowed to destroy the hermitage of Parasurama.
253.
What would be the effect of the curse?
a) That Karna would not be able to recall the Brahmastra spell when his
hour came.
b) That the invocatory mantra would cease to act on the person targeted.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 63

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

c) That he would not be able to pass the spell to his friends.


d) That he would be killed by his own invocatory mantra of the Brahmastra.
254.
Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in
meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Tremor
a) Fear
b) Trembling
c) Offering
d) Sorrow
255.
Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in
meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Poignant
a) Defile
b) Straight
c) Foul
d) Painful
256.
Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in
meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Predicament
a) Difficulty
b) Fancy
c) Hurry
d) Emergency
257.
Choose the word/group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Reclining
a) Resting
b) Standing
c) Waiting
d) Thinking
258.
Choose the word/group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in
meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Torments
a) Suffering
b) Pain
c) Anxiety
d) Comfort
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are given in bold to help you to locate them, while answering
some of the questions.
The wakeup call that China represents to India is not limited to its
showpiece urban centres or that New Delhi hopes India will experience the benefits
that the Olympic Games have brought to Beijing. More pertinent is the comparison
of the agricultural sectors of the two countries. Why and how has China managed to
outstrip India in agriculture when 25 years ago the two countries were on par on
most parameters? Both have traditionally been agrarian economies and over half
their populations continue to depend on the land for their livelihood. With large
populations and histories of famine, India and China share concern on issues such
as food security, however, while Indias agricultural sector is projected to grow by
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 64

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

about 2.5% this year a slide from the previous years growth. Chinas has been
steadily growing at between 4% and 5% over the last fifteen years. The widest
divergence between India and China is in the profitable horticultural sector with the
production of fruits and vegetables in China leaping from 60 million tonnes in 1980
compared to Indias 55 million tonnes at the same time, to 450 million tonnes in
2003 ahead of Indias corresponding 135 million tonnes. Chinas added advantage
lies in the more diversified composition of its agricultural sector with animal
husbandry and fisheries which account for close to 45% of growth compared to
30% for India.
According to the latest report by Economic Advisory Council the traditional
excuses for Indias substandard is placed favourably when compared to China in
terms of quantity of arable land, average farm size, farm mechanization etc. The
reasons for China having outperformed India are threefold : technological
improvements accruing from research and development (China has over 1000 R
and D centres devoted to agriculture), Investment in rural infrastructure and an
increasingly liberalised agricultural policy moving away from self-sufficiency to
leveraging the competitive advantage with a focus on effieiency as much as
equity. Investment in rural infrastructure, roads, storage facilities, marketing
facilities are also crucial but government support in India has been mainly been
through subsidies, not investment. There has been much debate about sibsidies and
their utility, the opposing view being that subsidies are against the market reforms
and distort the market as well as reduce resource efficiency. In contrast to the 2046
applications for the registration of new plant varieties in China over the past few
years data reveals that despite India having the largest number of agricultural
scientists in the World Indias current research track record is abysmal, equivalent
to what China achieved in the 1908s. Far from developing new strains, the number
of field crop varieties fell by 50% between 1997 and 2001 despite the fact that there
was sharp and sustained increase in funding. One reason is that majority of the
budget is eaten up by staff salaries with only 3% being allotted for research. In
contrast, most agricultural research centres in China must use Central Government
funding purely for research. Funds relating to salareis and other administrative
incidentals must be generated by the centres themselves. The centres and sci entists
are thus, encouraged to engage in joint ventures witjh private sector compani es to
form commercial signoffs from their research. In fact research staff are now being
hired on a contract basis with pay based on performance and salaries raised
proportionately for those who perform well. India needs to learn from Chinas
example and adopt a pragmatic approach if it has to meet its targets of the Eleventh
five year plan.
259.
What has been the major area of difference in the development of
the agricultural sectors of India and China?
a) Quantity of arable land in China is far greater than in India
b) Food security is not a concern for China as the country is basically self
sufficient
c) China has experienced substantial growth in production in allied
agricultural activities like horticulture
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 65

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Indias agricultural sector is too diversified so it is difficult to channel


funds for development
260.
How are Chinese agricultural research facilities governed?
a) Salaries of staff are linked to performance which hampers productive
research
b) Their funding comes from the government alone to prevent private
companies from manipulating the direction of their research
c) A fixed proportion of government grants is allotted to be utilized for
administrative incidentals which cannot be exceeded
d) None of these
261.
Which of the following is an advantage that India holds over China
with respect to the agricultural sector?
a) Lack of diversification of the agricultural sector
b) Superior technology and farming practices
c) Greater prevalence of farm mechanisation
d) Provision of fertilizer and power subsidies
262.
Why was there a drop in development of new crop varieties for five
years from 1997?
a) Government funding for research fell during that period
b) Funds were diverted during this period to agricultural mechanisation
c) The private sector was not allowed to fund research
d) None of these
263.
Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?
a) Agricultural status of China and India was equivalent a quarter of a
century ago
b) Indias current economic growth rate is half that of China
c) China is traditionally an agrarian economy
d) Agricultural research in India is inadequate
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given.
It is difficult to imaginje the extraordinary number of controls on Indian
industry before 1991. Enterpreneurs needed permission to invest and could be
penalized for exceeding production capacity. Even with the given investment
capacity they had, entering certain areas was prohibited as these were reserved for
the public sector. If they had to import anything, they required licences. To get these
licences was tough, they had to persuade a bureaucrat that the item was required but
even so permission was unvailable if somebody was already producing it in India.
The impact of the reforms was not instantaneously and permanently
wonderful. In Indias case it began to show after about a year and a half. After 1993
there came three years of rapid industrial growth of about 8% or so. But, in the
second half of the 90s, there had an impact on the Indian industry. But, in the last
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 66

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

few years there has been a tremendous upturn. With the rise of investment industrial
growth has reached double digits or close.
However, even during the period when industrial growth was not that rapid,
there is a lot of evidence that positive results of the reforms were seen. There were
companies that didnt look at all internally but instead performed remarkably in the
highly competitive global market. For instance, the software sectors performance
was ouotstanding in an almost totally global market. Reliance built a world class
refinery. Tatas developed an indigenously designed car. The success of the
software sector has created much higher expectations from and much higher
confidence in what Indian industry can do. On the governments side its a
vindication that liberalization of both domestic and external policies, including the
increased inflow of Foreign Direct Investment, has created an environment in which
industry can do well, has done well and is preparing to do even better. What they
need is not sops, but good quality infrastructure. For the 11th plan an industrial
growth rate of around 12% is projected. It will have methods of developing
infrastructure, which will close the deficit. This can be done through increased
investment in public sector for those infrastructure areas, which cannot attract
private investment, and through efforts to improve private participation in different
ways of public private participation.
In the early stages of reforms, the liberalization of trade policies and a shift
to a market determined exchange rate had the effect of removing constrains on
agriculture in terms of depressed prices. The removal of protection on industry
helped to produce a more level playing field, because the earlier system was
extremely unfair to agriculture. The lesson to be learnt from the reforms process is
to persevere in reforming the strategic parts of the economy, which will lead to even
higher growth rate. India has to do better than its current average growth rate of 8%
and ensure that benefits from this higher growth go beyond industry and urban areas
and extend to agriculture.
264.
Which of the following factors was responsible for the fall in
Indias growth rate in the late 1990s?
a) The implementation of economic reforms was too rapid
b) It was expected after achieving a high growth at 10%
c) There was a slowdown in the global economy
d) There were sanctions against East Asian countries by WTO
265.
Which of the following can be said about the reforms of 1991?
a) They benefited Indian industry immediately
b) All Indian companies began to focus on indigenous development instead
of looking for opportunities abroad
c) They were targeted only at the software sector
d) They encouraged Foreign Direct Investment in India
266.
What was the impact of the flourishing Indian software sector?
a) Other companies were unable to be competitive in the global market
b) It fulled expectations of a good performance f rom the Indian economy
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 67

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

c) Growth rate rose to 12%


d) It created cut throat competition among software companies which
would hinder the sector in the long run
267.
Why was investment by private business disallowed in certain
sectors?
a) To ensure proper development in these sectors
b) To prevent corruption in key sectors like infrastructure
c) To ensure steady not inconsistent growth in key sectors
d) To protect the interest of the public sector in these sectors
268.
What is the authors opinion about the governments decision to
liberalise the economy in 1991?
a) It was beneficial because it created confidence in the Indian economy
b) The timing was wrong since the economy experienced a slowdown in
growth rate
c) It led to a focus on software and other sectors were neglected
d) Foreign companies took advantage of the new policies and exploited
certain sectors
269.
How did software companies deal with slow industrial growth in an
open Indian economy?
a) They focused on strengthening their position in the domestic market
b) They campaigned for infrastructure development
c) They diversified into different sectors
d) They targeted global markets
270.
What does the author recommend to ensure that the industrial
sector continues to perform better?
a) Subsidies should be provided in infrastructure development
b) Government should keep control of and monitor all infrastructure
projects
c) Wipe out any infrastructure deficit by transferring respnsibility of these
projects to the private sector
d) Ensure a combination of public and private sector involvement in
developing infrastructure
271.
How did the economic reforms affect the agriculture sector?
a) A system of market determined exchange rate was introduced
b) Constraints in agriculture increase
c) Prices were depressed because there was a removal of protection on the
sector
d) Agriculture growth rate doubled

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 68

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.
Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz, described globalisation as a double
edged sword. For those willing to seize the opportunities and manage globalisation
on their own terms, it has provided the basis of unprecedented growth. Taking full
advantage of globalisation India has managed a historically unprecedented growth
rate for more than a decade and half. Following the Washington consensus in the
last quarter of 20th century, international institutions including the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund mounted a sustained campaign to push
liberalisation of national economies and privatisation of their public sector.
Empirical studies have amply demonstrated that the benefits of the globalisation
have not been shared by all the countries. Even in the same country, the benefits
arising out of globalisation have not filtered to the various strate of the population
and disparities have widened. Thus, there are transparent inequalities amongst the
countries as also within the same country. India is no exception to the latter. In most
of the poorer countries in Africa growth rates have not registered any improvements
and the number of people below poverty line has in some cases doubled. Moreover
there is reluctance of developed countries in removing the trade distorting subsidies
in agriculture and giving duty-free market access to the least developed countries
with very limited exportable products.
The issue is how has India reaped benefits of globalisation? To assume that
economic, fiscal, trade and allied policies initiated by the government created an
environment which facilitated economic advancement on these fronts will amount
to manipulation of ground realities. The foremost factor which engineered the
growth in India was emergence of a self-reliant middle class equipped with strong
knowledge base with technical qualifications. They pursued innovative businesses
requiring managerial and technical skills in the upcoming sectors like information
technology and other allied fields. Instead of the traditional industry led growth path
followed by the west and other developing countries India opted for services-led
growth which had visible, tangible results. In the manufacturing sector,
technological innovation, low-cost production, ability to quickly adapt to changes,
establishing word class R and D facilities etc., greatly helped in successfully
meeting global competition. The automobile industry is a classic example, Strong
presence of non-resident Indians in the developed countries occupying senior
management positions in several multinational corporations built confidence in
Indian managerial competence and leadership. This promoted MNCs networking
with India (as also in China) with its expanding domestic market which in the
present circumstances remained the only viable option for their sustained growth in
future. The success stories of businesses controlled by NRIs in the western markets
established Indias reputation as dependable and disciplined businessmen. Well
established democratic political framework, large young population ingrained with
absorption capaicty of new technologies have all created a responsive realisation
that India is marching ahead. The initiative largely of its private sector in expanding
connectivity by improved telecommunications, low-cost air transportation and vast
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 69

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

press, TV and other media penetration ignited awareness amongst all sections of its
people of a bright future and thus radically changed their perception, thinking and
actions. Furthermore the entire world took note of unexploited potentials of India in
becoming a competitive centre of excellence and cost efficiency.
272.
According to the author, which of the following was primarily
responsible for Indias growth?
a) Well developed and implemented economic, fiscal and trade policies
b) Detailed microlevel analysis of the economy
c) A workforce with managerial rather than technical qualification
d) None of these
273.
What was the fallout of improvement in connectivity?
a) Decline in travel by traditional modes like road and rail
b) Optimism was created among the Indian public about the future of the
Indian economy
c) Youth in urban areas m ainly benefited from the exposure to western
styles of management and business.
d) It made Indian entrepreneurs realise that they should concentrate on
domestic not global markets.
274.
What does the example of the auto industry indicate?
a) Indian cars were too expensive for the Indian market but were
competitively priced for global markets.
b) Investment by multinationals in Indian firms boosted the Indian auto
industry.
c) Collaboration with foreign scientists reduced time needed for research
and development
d) NRIs were responsible for the success of the automobile industry
275.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Mounted
a) Increased
b) Grew
c) Organized
d) Climbed
276.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Tangible
a) Valuable
b) Complex
c) Touch
d) Concrete
277.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Manipulation
a) Distortion b) Calculation c) Utilisation
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 70

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Indication

278.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Viable
a) Indirect
b) Impractical
c) Unsatisfied
d) Unpleasant
279.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
given in bold as used in the passage.
Amply
a) Slowly
b) Intensively
c) Least
d) Hardly
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questins given below it.
Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you to locate them
while answering some of the questions.
Rural India faces serious shortages power, water, health facilities, roads,
etc. these are known and recognized. However, the role of technology in solving
these and other problems is barely acknowledged and the actual availability of
technology in rural areas is marginal. The backbone of the rural economy is
agriculture, which also provides sustenance to over half the countrys population.
The green revolution of the 1970s was, in fact, powered by the scientific work in
various agricultural research institutions. While some fault the green revolution for
excessive exploitation of water and land resources through overuse of fertilizers, it
did bring about a wheat surplus and prosperity in certain pockets of the country.
In rural India today, there is a dire inadequacy of both science (i.e.
knowledge) and technology (which derives from science and manifsts itself in
physical form). The scope to apply technology to both farm and non-farm activities
in rural areas is huge, as are the potential benefits. In fact, crop yields are far lower
than what they are in demonstration farms, where science and technology are more
fully applied. Technologies that redmuce power consumption of pumps are vital,
unfortunately, their use is minimal, since agricultural power is free or largely
subsidized. Similarly, there is little incentive to optimise through technology or
otherwise water use, especially in irrigated areas ( a third of total arable land), given
the water rates, post harvest technologies for processing and adding value could
greatly enhance rural employment and incomes but at present deployment of
technology is marginal. Cold storage and cold chains for transportation to market is
of great importance for many agricultural products particularly, fruits and
vegetables, but are non-existent. These are clearly technologies with an immediate
return on investment, and benefits for all, the farmer, the end consumer, the
technology provider.
However, regulatory and structural barriers are holding back investments.
Power is a key requirement in rural areas, for agricultural as well as
domestic uses. Technology can provide reliable power at comparatively low cost in
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 71

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

a decentralized manner. However, this needs to be upgraded and scaled in a big


way, with emphasis on renewable and non-polluting technologies, Reliable and low
cost means of transporting goods and people is an essential need for rural areas. The
bullock-cart and the tractor-trailer are present vehicles of choice. Surely, technology
can provide a better, cheaper and more efficient solution? Information related to
commodity prices, agricultural practices, weather etc. are crucial for the farmer.
Technology can provide these through mobile phones, which is a proven technology
however the challenge to ensure connectivity remains. Thus, there is a pressing
need for technology as currently economic growth though skewed and iniquitous
has created an economically attractive market in rural India.
280.
Which of the following is not an impact of the green revolution?
a) Over utilization of water resources
b) Application of scientific research only in demonstration farms
c) Wealth creation restricted to creation areas
d) Damage caused to land by inordinate use of fertilizers
281.
Why is there no motivation to reduce power consumption?
a) Freely available sources of energy
b) Government will have to subsidise the cost of technology required to
reduce power consumption
c) Power distribution has been decentralized
d) None of these
282.
What effect will the implementation of post harvest technologies
such as cold storages have?
a) Regulatory procedures will have to be more stringent.
b) Prices of commodities like fruits and vegetables will fall since there is no
wastage from spoilage
c) Incomes of rural population will fall
d) Pollution of the environment
283.
The authors main objective in writing the passage is to
a) Censure scientists for not undertaking research
b) Criticise farmers for not utilising experimental low cost post h arvesting
technology
c) Exhort the government subsidise the cost of utilising technology
d) Advocate broadening the scope of research and use of technology in
agriculture
284.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Marginal
a) Austere
b) Severe
c) Detrimental
d) Insignificant
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 72

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

285.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Fault
a) Defect
b) Offend
c) Imperfect
d) Blame
286.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Dire
a) Pessimistic
b) Alarming
c) Futile
d) Frightened
287.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Potential
a) Unlikely
b) Incapable
c) Unable
d) Ineffective
288.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Iniquitous
a) Immoral
b) Godly
c) Victatious
d) Just
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while
answering some of the questions.
Giving loans to impoverished women to make ceramics or to farmers to buy
milk cows were not seen as great business. Microfinance was an industry
championed by antipoverty activists. Today it is on the verge of a revolution, with
billions of dollars from big banks, private equity shops and pension funds pouring
in, driving growth of 30% to 40% this year alone. In 1998, a nonprofit microfinance
organization in Peru, converted into a bank (called Mibanco). This demonstrated
that the poor are good risks who repay loans on time and getting them together, not
only chips away at poverty but also turns a profit. The success of Mibanco has
piqued the interest of commercial banks, which had previously shunned the
countrys poor. Now big banks are going after Mibancos clients with low-rate
loans and realising it takes special know how to work with the unbanked are hiring
away Mibancos staff.
But with the emergence of players who are only out for profit, microfinance
schemes could end up milking the poor. This could happen in countries where
lenders dont have to disclose interest rates. When a Mexican microfinancier went
public, revealing its loans had rates of about 86% annually, the Consultative Group
to Assist the Poor criticised it for putting shareholders ahead of clients. The pressure
to turn a profit also forces microfinanciers to change their business models in ways
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 73

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

that depart from the industrys core mission, to help poor people lead better lives.
Such shifts have caused the average loan size to triple. Moreover smaller loans
being costlier to service, a lower percentage of loans go to women because they
tend to take out smaller sums, According to CGAP, with the flood of new large en
tities there is the risk that a large percentage of cross border funds go to Latin
America and Eastern Europe, the Worlds most developed microfinance markets.
The poorest of the Worlds poor, who are predominantly in Asia and Africa get left
out, says the CEO of the nonprofit Grameen Foundation, which helps develop
microfinance institutions.
Segementing the industry, might be worthwhile if it allows more of the poor
to get access to credit. Multinational corporations could take the top microfinance
institutions to the next level, and the remainder could be the responsibility of
development groups and regional banks. Yet making loans to poor people is hardly
a poverty cure. Property rights and the rule of law matter too. One cannot
overidealize what microfinance alone can do. Most nonprofits started with lending
simply because local laws prohibited nonbanks from offering deposit accounts.
With an increase in competition and marketing efforts, poverty alleviation experts
are concerned that people will be talked into loans they wouldnt otherwise want.
For example, organisations like Mibanco are providing consumer loans. There is
nothing wrong with buying. TVs and microwaves on credit, but certain markets,
like Mexico, have been flooded w ith loans that have nothing to do with providing
capital to aspiring entrepreneurs just increasing household debt.
289.
Why did most microfinance institutions initially provide only credit
services?
a) They were unable to compete with the interest rates o ffered on deposits
by commercial banks
b) They have to operate purely on a nonprofit basis
c) Government restrictions prevented them from offering additional
services
d) To ensure the poor have access to modern necessities like microwaves
290.
What was the impact of the non-disclosure of their interest rates by
lending institutions?
a) The Government issued sanctions against such firms
b) Shareholders interests were not protected
c) More microfinance institutions were motivated to go public
d) The poor were exploited
291.
What is CGAPs fear with respect to new entities providing
microfinance?
a) NGOs will be unable to survive in an environment of cut throat
competition
b) The poor will hesitate to take advantage of credit facilities because of the
formalities involved
c) The poor in the developed world will be overlooked
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 74

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) The interests of the most deserving among the poor will be neglected
292.
What is the authors opinion about the competition for customers
among microfinanciers?
a) It benefits the poor by providing them with loans they would have
otherwise not had access to
b) It is futile since the poor have to pay high rates of interest on property
loans
c) It is not beneficial since firms waste their profits on marketing rather than
helping the poor
d) None of these
293.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Depart
a) Absent
b) Retirement c) Divide
d) Vary
294.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Piqued
a) Provoked
b) Irritated
c) Disturb
d) Offended
295.
Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Verge
a) Tend
b) Crossroad
c) Ascent
d) Slope
296.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Aspiring
a) Uninterested
b) Ungrateful
c) Anxious
d) Miserable
297.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Core
a) Clear
b) Unnecessary
c) Crust
d) Besides
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering
some of the questions.
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 75

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Sixty years after independence, India remains one of the unhealthiest places
on earth. Millions of people still suffer from disease that no longer exist almost
anywhere else on the planet. What makes the picture even bleaker is the fact that
Indias economic boom has so far had, little impact on health standards. Between
2001 and 2006 Indias economy grew almost 50%, the countrys biggest expansion
in decades. Meantime, its child malnutrition rate, dropped just a single percentage
point, to 46%. This is worse than in most African countries. The incredible
economic growth is having an impact in other ways by driving up rates or rich
world diseases sch as obesity and encouraging high end health services, some of
which offer world class care but remain far beyond the reach of the vast majority of
Indians. The country brags about the skill of Indias world class doctors when its
marketers sell India as a medical tourism destination and emerging health service
giant. The truth behind the glossy advertising that : India is the sick man of Asia,
malnourished and, beset by epidemics of AIDS and diabetes and with spending
levels on public h ealth that even its Prime Minister has coinceded are seriously
lagging behind other developing countries in Asia.
Part of the reason for sorry state of Indias medical services is the
crumbling public health infrastructure not fancy hospitals or equipment but basic
services such as clean water, a functioning sewage system, power. The World
Health Organisation estimates that more than 900000 Indians die every year from
drinking bad water and breathing bad air. Public health experts believe that Indias
vast population adds to the burden, overloading systems where they do exist and
aiding the spread of disease in many places they dont. Moreover, for the past
decade or so, funding for preventive public health initiatives such as immunization
drives and programmes to control the spread of communicable diseases has been
cut. Experts also blame policies that concentrate on the latest scientific techniques
and not enough on basics for the fact that millions of people in India are suffering
and dying. Especially in rural India, health services are poor to non-existent.
Current staff often doesnt turn up for work, clinics are badly maintained and people
end up seeking help from pharmacists who are not sufficiently trained. India need
more than a million more doctors and nurses. The government has also promised
more money for rural health through its ambitious National Rural Health Mission.
It will increase public health spending from the current 1% of Indias GDP to upto
3% by 2010, but thats still just half the rate at which countries with comparable per
capita incomes such as Senegal and Mongolia fund their health sectors. If that is to
change, we must realise that the link between wealth and good health isnt clear cut.
Poor states that have made efforts in child immunization over the past few years
now have better coverage than richr states, where immunization has actually
slipped.
India needs to stop being complacent and prepare to spend on health but
whenever it is mentioned there is always this debate about cost. Why dont we have
the same debate when we spend tens of billions on new arms? Its hard to be an
economic superpower if youre too sick to work.
298.
What can be inferred from the statistics given for 2001-2006?
a) India has made strides in reducing its malnutrition rate
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 76

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) During this period India managed to achieve a growth rate equivalent to


that of developed countries
c) India managed to achieve high standards both in economic growth and in
healthcare
d) Though India achieved a high economic growth rate this did not
positively impact the healthcare sector to a great extent
299.
What is the authors main objective in writing the passage?
a) Comparing India and Africa in terms of economic growth
b) Cautioning India to improve its healthcare system
c) Exhorting India to have higher growth rate which will benefit the
healthcare sector
d) Criticising medical practitioners for their lack of concern for the health
of the weaker sections of society
300.
Which of the following cannot be seen as a cause for the state of
Indias healthcare system?
a) Vast population
b) Lack of basic services like water, power etc.
c) Inadequate waste management facilities
d) Lack of funding from the World Health Organisation
301.
Choose the word /phrase which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Sorry
a) Forgiveness
b) Apology
c) Repentant
d) Miserable
302.
Choose the word /phrase which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Complacent
a) Pleasing
b) Self satisfied
c) Conforming
d) Willing
303.
Choose the word /phrase which is most nearly the same in meaning
as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Reach
a) Extend
b) Span
c) Grasp
d) Distance
304.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Bleaker
a) Hopeful
b) Warm
c) Cozy
d) Sheltered
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 77

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

305.
Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.
Non-existent
a) Hypothetical
b) Active
c) Realistic
d) Available
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words are given in bold in the passage to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
It is difficult to compare countries because various factors such as size,
culture, history, geography, natural endowments, geopolitics and internal polity
comes into play. There are some goals which can be achieved by smaller countries,
but sometimes smaller countries find it difficult to mbark upon certain big
technological plans even if they have the funds, because the size of the domestic
market is too small. If we consider the bigger countries, the closest comparison to
India is China, though there are many crucial differences.
The Chinese vision is to prepare the country for entry into the ranks of mid
level developed nations by the middle of the twenty first century. Acceleration of
the nations economic growth and social development by relying on advances in
science and technology is pivotal in this.
Documents describing the Chinese vision state that science and technology
constitute premier productive forces and represent a great revolutionary power that
can propel economic and social development. It is interesting to note that the main
lessons the Chinese have drawn from their past performance is their failure to
promote science and technology as strategic tools for empowerment. They also
point to the absence of mechanisms and motivations in their economic activity to
promote dependence on science and technology. Similarly, they hold that their
scientific and technological efforts were not oriented towards economic growth. As
a consequence they conclude, a large number of scientific and technological
achievements were not converted into productive forces as they were too far
removed from Chinas immediate economic and social needs. The Chinese vision is
therefore aimed at exploiting state of art science and technology to enhance the
nations overall power and strength, to improve the peoples living standards, to
focus on resolving problems encountered in large scale industrial and agricultural
production and to effectively control and alleviate pressures brought on by
population, resources and the environment. By the year 2000, China had aimed at
bringing the main industrial sectors upto the technological levels achieved by the
developed countries in the 1970s or 80s, and by 2020 to the level they would have
attained by the early twenty first century. The aim is to bridge the overall gap with
the advanced World. There is a speci al emphasis on research and development of
high technologies that would find defence applications. Some of these technologies
are critical for improving the features of key conventional weapons. Some
technologies are meant for enhancing futur military capab ilities. Other efforts are
aimed at maintaining the momentum to develop capabilities for cutting edge
defence technologies. They call for unremitting efforts in this regard with the aim of
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 78

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

maintaining effective self defence and nuclear deterrent capabilities and to enable
parity in defence, science and technology with the advanced world.
306.
Why cant smaller countries take up big technological planning?
a) They have other goials to achieve
b) They have smaller domestic market size
c) Smaller countries lack technological know how
d) Bigger countries do not permit them to do so
307.
What is the goal of China to be accomplished by the middle of 21st
Century?
a) To become one of the most developed nations
b) To surpass the level of all middle level developed nations by a good
margin
c) To be the most influential super power
d) None of these
308.
What according to the Chinese vision can boost socio-economic
development?
a) Science and technology
b) Minds united with revolutionary powers
c) Premier productive forces
d) A vision which propels development
309.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Endowments
a) Powers
b) Measures
c) Habitats
d) Gifts
310.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Oriented
a) Stated
b) Tempting
c) Deciding
d) Leaning
311.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the
word given in bold as used in the passage.
Conventional
a) Functional
b) Activist
c) Deliberate
d) Traditional
312.
Choose the word which is opposite in meaning of the word given in
bold as used in the passage.
Crucial
a) Central
b) Trivial
c) Decisive
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 79

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) Fundamental

313.
Choose the word which is opposite in meaning of the word given in
bold as used in the passage.
Parity
a) Impropriety
b) Impartiality
c) Inequality
d) Inauspicious
In the sentence below, a word is printed in bold. Below the sentence, five words
/group of words are suggested, one of which can replace the bold word, without
changing the meaning of the sentence. Find out the appropriate word/group of
words in each case.
314.
If you familiarize yourself with the culture of that area, you will be
able to enjoy life there.
a) Submit
b) Acquaint
c) Associate
d) Look after
315.
For such a gigantic task, there should be some special task force.
a) Trivial
b) Important
c) Huge
d) Gallantry
316.
If you are required to handle things under stress, mistakes are
inevitable.
a) Correctable
b) Detectable
c) Unpardonable
d) Unavoidable
317.
People who trespass this gate will be fined.
a) Cross without permission
b) Climb up and cross over
c) Break unlawfully
d) Pass on
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be wrongly spelt.
Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The number of that
word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt mark All correct as the
answer.
318.
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be
wrongly spelt. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The
number of that word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt
mark All correct as the answer.
a) Adventure
b) Demonstration
c) Environment
d) Innosent

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 80

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

319.
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be
wrongly spelt. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The
number of that word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt
mark All correct as the answer.
a) Limitasion
b) Dependable
c) Miniature
d) Qualitative
320.
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be
wrongly spelt. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The
number of that word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt
mark All correct as the answer.
a) Lucrative
b) Ancestral
c) Performanse
d) Incidentally
321.
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be
wrongly spelt. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The
number of that word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt
mark All correct as the answer.
a) Futility
b) Separasion
c) Embarrassment
d) Positively
322.
Below the four words are given. One of these four words may be
wrongly spelt. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt, if there is any. The
number of that word is your answer. If all the words are correctly spelt
mark All correct as the answer.
a) Tournament
b) Enhancement
c) Amazingly
d) All are correct
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

The researchers in these companies claim that they could do better by


allowing their employees to doze off at work place.
The dreams, while at work, are thus helpful to solve crucial problems.
Would you believe that some UK based companies are arranging for
bed at the work place?
The reason, they claim, could be that dreams produce creative
solutions.
We only hope that these crucial problems in UK are different from
those of ours.
But it is true and is considered as a step to improve quality of their
products.

323.
Which of the following should be the First sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 81

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

324.
Which of the following should be the Third sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
325.
Which of the following should be the Fourth sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
326.
Which of the following should be the Fifth sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
327.
Which of the following should be the Sixth sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) E
In the following sentence, an idiomatic expression or a proverb is highlighted.
Select the alternative which best describes its use in the sentence.
328.
Mrs.Nayak opened the discussion on the alarming rate of poverty
in India.
a) Started the discussion
b) Gave her opinion in the discussion
c) Did not agree on the discussion
d) Welcomed the people to the discussion
329.
The course of events made it necessary for Joseph to start working.
a) Events that were planned
b) Long list of future events
c) A succession of unexpected events
d) Nature of events that followed after Joseph joined work
330.
The new law on 'Right to Food Safety' will come into force next
month.
a) Be forced upon the people
b) Be associated from next month onwards
c) Be implemented next month
d) Be withdrawn next month
331.
When the girl wanted to stay out past midnight, her father put his
foot down.
a) Gave in to her request
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 82

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

b) Walked away disapprovingly


c) Obstructed her from leaving the house
d) Requested her to be home on time

A. The reasons for their happiness was that they had come to the Vithal temple
of Pandharpur to see their beloved Lord.
B. There were rich, poor men, women, children, blind, handicapped among
them.
C. They were all in a very happy state of mind, as was apparent from their
glowing faces.
D. They would worship and seek the Divine blessings while in Pandharpur.
E. It was an auspicious day and many people had assembled in the temple.
F. Though different there was one commonality among.
332.
Which of the following should be the Fourth statement after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
333.
Which of the following should be the Fifth statement after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
334.
Which of the following should be the Sixth statement after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
335.
Which of the following should be the First statement after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) E
336.
Which of the following should be the Second statement after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
Which of the phrases given below should be replaced the phrase given in bold
in the sentence to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct?
337.
There are lot many opportunities for young IT graduates today.
a) Lot many of
b) Very many of
c) Lots of
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 83

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

d) No correct required

338.
Along the course off his carrer, he has established a reputation for
efficiency.
a) In the course off
b) During the course of
c) While the course of
d) No correct required
339.
It is much likely his train has been delayed due to bad weather.
a) Quite likely that
b) Mostly like that
c) Much likely that
d) No correct required
340.
He answered every question put on him frankly.
a) Put for him
b) Put to him
c) Put by himself
d) Putting on him
341.
The engineers have been working overtime, but have been not able
to locate the fault.
a) Have not been unable
b) Are not unable
c) Have been unable
d) No correct required
A. Besides, they get a lot of exposure to novel things through media.
B. Therefore, their mental development did not show any extraordinary signs.
C. Children of the present generation appear to be smarter than their earlier
counterparts.
D. Thus, the environment of present days has brought out these changes.
E. This is probably because there are lots of opportunities for their indirect
learning.
F. Children of yester years did not have these facilities.
342.
Which of the following will be the Third sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
343.
Which of the following will be the First sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 84

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

344.
Which of the following will be the Sixth sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
345.
Which of the following will be the Second sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) E
346.
Which of the following will be the Fifth sentence after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word
/group of words printed in bold
347.
Galloped
a) Hurtled
d) Jumped

b) Stumbled

c) Slumbered

348.
Revered
a) Remembered
d) Respected

b) Feared

c) Talked

349.
Reveal
a) Stop
d) Pending

b) Conceal

c) Present

350.
Elated
a) Afraid
d) Depressed

b) Door

c) Happy

Answers:
1. Option D
2. Option D
3. Option C
4. Option E
5. Option C
6. Option B
7. Option A
8. Option A
www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 85

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

Option E
Option E
Option C
Option B
Option B
Option A
Option B
Option A
Option B
Option A
Option E
Option C
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option A
Option B
Option E
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option E
Option B
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option E
Option B
Option E
Option D
Option E
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option B
Option E
Option C
Option D

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 86

Reading Comprehensions Workbook

55. Option B
56. Option A
57. Option E
58. Option E
59. Option C
60. Option B
61. Option B
62. Option C
63. Option E
64. Option D
65. Option B
66. Option D
67. Option A
68. Option B
69. Option A
70. Option D
71. Option D
72. Option C
73. Option C
74. Option B
75. Option D
76. Option C
77. Option B
78. Option D
79. Option D
80. Option C
81. Option D
82. Option A
83. Option B
84. Option D
85. Option D
86. Option D
87. Option D
88. Option B
89. Option D
90. Option D
91. Option C
92. Option A
93. Option A
94. Option B
95. Option B
96. Option A
97. Option A
98. Option C
99. Option D
100.
Option C

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 87

101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option D
Option D
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option B
Option C
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option A

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 88

147.
148.
149.
150.
151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
163.
164.
165.
166.
167.
168.
169.
170.
171.
172.
173.
174.
175.
176.
177.
178.
179.
180.
181.
182.
183.
184.
185.
186.
187.
188.
189.
190.
191.
192.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option B
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option B
Option A
Option B
Option B
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option A
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option C

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 89

193.
194.
195.
196.
197.
198.
199.
200.
201.
202.
203.
204.
205.
206.
207.
208.
209.
210.
211.
212.
213.
214.
215.
216.
217.
218.
219.
220.
221.
222.
223.
224.
225.
226.
227.
228.
229.
230.
231.
232.
233.
234.
235.
236.
237.
238.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option A
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option A
Option A
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option B
Option D
Option C
Option A

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 90

239.
240.
241.
242.
243.
244.
245.
246.
247.
248.
249.
250.
251.
252.
253.
254.
255.
256.
257.
258.
259.
260.
261.
262.
263.
264.
265.
266.
267.
268.
269.
270.
271.
272.
273.
274.
275.
276.
277.
278.
279.
280.
281.
282.
283.
284.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option D
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option C
Option C
Option A
Option B
Option B
Option B
Option B
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option B
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option D
Option D
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option B
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option D

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 91

285.
286.
287.
288.
289.
290.
291.
292.
293.
294.
295.
296.
297.
298.
299.
300.
301.
302.
303.
304.
305.
306.
307.
308.
309.
310.
311.
312.
313.
314.
315.
316.
317.
318.
319.
320.
321.
322.
323.
324.
325.
326.
327.
328.
329.
330.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option D
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option C
Option D
Option C
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option D
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option D
Option A
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option B
Option D
Option C
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option C

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 92

331.
332.
333.
334.
335.
336.
337.
338.
339.
340.
341.
342.
343.
344.
345.
346.
347.
348.
349.
350.

Reading Comprehensions Workbook


Option C
Option C
Option D
Option B
Option D
Option A
Option C
Option B
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option C
Option D
Option D
Option B
Option A
Option D
Option B
Option D

www.BankExamsToday.com

Page 93

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi